


Satoshi's Grandest Journeys

by AxelsKingdom



Series: Satoshi's Grandest Journeys (Older Satoshi Au) [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon Journeys: The Series - Fandom, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield (Anime)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), BAMF Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Bisexual Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Everyone has a Tiny crush on Satoshi, FUCK barrierd stereotypes barri-chan is a girl, Gou is 18, It's Pokemon battles idk what you expect, Let Satoshi Say Fuck 2k20, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Older Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon Journeys: The Series Spoilers, Satoshi has PTSD, Satoshi is 19, Satoshi is Angy, Satoshi wants to deck Musashi and Kojiro and he probably will some day, Slow Burn, Trans Gou | Goh, aka Satoshi actually ages during his travels, mild violence, not beta read we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:42:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 21,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24723232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AxelsKingdom/pseuds/AxelsKingdom
Summary: Satoshi Ketchum is just your average teen living an average life.Except for the fact that nothing about him is Average and he's off on another journey, probably on his way to save the world for the 20th time, this time with a new friend on his side for this adventure.
Relationships: Eventual Gladio | Gladion/Gou | Goh/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Eventual Gou | Goh/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Gladio | Gladion/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum
Series: Satoshi's Grandest Journeys (Older Satoshi Au) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1568689
Comments: 8
Kudos: 106





	1. Satoshi and Gou, Aboard Lugia They Go!

**Author's Note:**

> Aka another Au where Satoshi/Ash actually fucking Ages and isn't a 10 year old saving the world over and over again.
> 
> And yes, things are different from what happens in canon episodes and while I absolutely adore the canon episodes so far, a friend and I had ideas for the AU and I kinda let it get away from me so. Things Changed. Trust me, though, I'm perfectly content with how canon is going, this is just my interpretation of how things may be different is Satoshi actually remembered the Legendaries he's met and they remembered him, too.
> 
> This is a rewrite of [Satoshi's Newest Adventure](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21765823/chapters/51931933#workskin)!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Satoshi arrives at Kuchiba City only to learn of a strong Pokémon that has appeared above the town. Going to investigate, he meets an old friend and makes a new one, an new opportunity given to him that he just can't turn down.

If someone were to ask Satoshi what his favorite Legendary to meet was, he'd never be able to actually tell them. He'd been traveling the world for 9 years at this point and has met so many Pokémon, the list ranging from normal Pokémon to Mythicals to Legendaries, the list unending, and he loved each and everyone one he befriended. It was something he cherished getting to do each and every day.

One Pokémon he'd never forget, however, was Lugia. More specifically, it was the baby Lugia he, Takeshi, and Kasumi had helped save from the people trying to capture it all those years ago. The young Pokémon had grown attached to him and he found himself growing attached to it as well, adoring the young Pokémon. He'd found himself growing sad when the two had to split up once they'd scared Kosaburo and Yamato away, but he knew he couldn't stay at the lake forever. So in the end, he ended up promising the baby Lugia they'd meet again someday, laughing as the young yet large Pokémon draped its soaked body over his own smaller one in an attempt at an embrace. 

Then he left and then it was gone. He tried to visit those Legendaries he met in Kanto, visiting the ones he could find and attempting to find sightings of those he couldn't. When he'd traveled to the lake to see the two Lugia he'd left behind, he'd found it empty and void of their presence. He couldn't blame them, their location had been compromised and it was dangerous to stay there, there was no saying if Kosaburo or Yamato would return to finish what they'd started. Satoshi couldn't help the brief moment of sadness that washed over him as he stared out at the sparkling water, but then a grin broke out across his face and he chuckled to himself. Lugia wouldn't want him sulking around their old home, he knew that, and so instead he smiled out over the water surface, hands perching high on his hips and eyes shining.

" _Lugia!_ " His voice echoed through the vast area, loud and excited, " _Don't forget my promise!_ "

And even as his eyes burned slightly, he turned his back on the lake and left, preparing himself for another new adventure.

**§** **§**

The Dodorio's cry pulled a low groan from the teen's chest, face pressing further into his pillow as he attempted to ignore the screaming Pokémon, only for his alarm clock to join in on the obnoxious noises attempting to wake him. An annoyed growl rumbled from his chest and he cracked an eye open, watching as his Pikachu sleepily rose from the bed, body swaying slightly with each tiny step. His partner's high-pitched yawn was comforting, a sound he could fall asleep to if he allowed himself, but then a small paw kicked his face and he groaned louder, playfully headbutting the Pokémon. His offended little screech made him laugh tiredly and he sighed, allowing him to turn the alarm off for him after throwing it a few too many times before he slowly rose from the bed.

"Morning, buddy," he hummed, raising a hand to pet the mouse Pokémon's head. The please _'Chaaa'_ that trilled from Pikachu pulled a quiet chuckle from him and he smiled fondly, scratching behind his partner's ear for just a moment. It was early and Pikachu was just as much a morning Pokémon as he was, so he knew some extra attention would help him get motivated for the day ahead.

Sliding his body from the bed, Satoshi allowed a pleased hum to rise from his throat as he stretched, bones cracking and muscles loosening, head rocking from side to side with a fairly loud _crack_. He could hear more than see Pikachu's wince at the sound and a bark of laughter left him as he pulled his sleep shirt over his head. Deep brown hues flickered back to peak at the yellow Pokémon, an amused grin sliding across his face, and he moved across the room to get his new clothes for the day.

"Go tell Mom I'm up so she doesn't barge in while I'm changing." His voice held a playful yet fond lilt to it, a small smile replacing his grin for a brief moment. He loved his mother, though she had a habit of entering his room without warning, never quite dropping said habit of dealing with having to wake her son every time he was home. He learned the hard way that he had to have Pikachu let her know he was up in the morning after she'd entered while he was changing and caused him to let out a yell that was so loud the Dodorio next door yelled back.

Pikachu chirped from his spot on the bed and jumped down from the bunk, hopping off towards the door. A moment passed and the mouse cried softly, looking back at his trainer with a frown, and Satoshi found himself laughing, apologies falling from his lips as he moved to open it for his Pokémon. A brief huff was his response before Pikachu scampered off, leaving him to change in peace.

Once changed, he quickly hopped down the stairs, sliding down the railing with a grin, even as it creaked under his weight. A towel made contact with the back of his head and he let out a startled yell, only to look back and see his mother looking at him with an exasperated smile.

"You can't keep doing that, Satoshi, you're not a little kid anymore." Hanako shook her head fondly, approaching her son and raising her arm, having to reach slightly after Satoshi managed to outgrow her, having a good few inches on the older woman now. A hat was plopped onto his head, messing his hair slightly, and Satoshi snickered, raising a hand to grip the brim of it.

"Sorry, Mom, I'll try to remember." Leaning down, he allowed himself to be pulled into a brief hug, a comforting hand patting his back as his mother shook her head against his shoulder.

"Yes, yes, I bet you will," She hummed, gently pinching his side and causing him to yelp, "Now off you go, you're going to be late if you stick around any longer." A soft kiss was pressed to his cheek to make up for the pinch and Satoshi chuckled, pressing a kiss of his own to his mother's forehead.

"Thanks, Mom, I'll see you later! Love you!"

"I love you, too, Satoshi." Hanako watched as her boy ran to the front door, slipping his shoes on and calling out to Pikachu so his partner would join him on his shoulder, disappearing out into the world. A gentle smile curled her lips upwards and she turned towards the house, only to let a soft sigh fall past her lips when she noticed something in the kitchen. " _Oh that boy.._ "

" _Professor Ookido!!_ " Satoshi's voice rang out across the lot, loud as usual, and the Professor turned towards it, grinning as his pupil jogged towards him.

"Satoshi! I was starting to think you wouldn't make it," He teased, voice graveled with age. Satoshi laughed, playfully glaring at the older man even as his Pikachu hopped up onto the Professor's shoulder.

"I would never miss Professor Sakuragi's Lab's grand opening! I've been wanting to meet him ever since you told me about him and this is the perfect chance!" Bumping a fist to his chest, he puffed it out slightly and Pikachu used Ookido as a jumping post to hop to his trainer's shoulder, crying out in agreement and bumping a tiny paw to his tiny chest as well. Ookido laughed, eyes fondly rolling at the teen and Pokémon's antics, before his eyes caught onto a sight behind the teen that caused him to grin.

"Ah, it's nice to see you, Hanako."

His mother's name made Satoshi pause, eyes widening as he spun on his heel to look at said woman. Hanako beamed up at her son and Ookido, eyes sparking with secondhand excitement with her oh so familiar Barrierd at her side as she raised a small basket towards the teen.

"Mom?! What are you doing here?" Even as he said this, he stepped towards her to take the basket being offered to him. She laughed at his reaction, hands dropping away from it once she was sure he had it and clasping behind her back, eyes flickering between him and the professor.

"I was actually bringing you your lunch, but if you're going to Kuchiba City, I'd love to tag along! They have so many good sweets, I'd love to get some to try!" Delicate hands cupped her cheeks as the shorter woman gushed over the possible snacks she could get from the city. Satoshi couldn't help his sigh as Ookido laughed behind him, waving for Hanako and her Barrierd to enter the car.

"Well, we better get going, don't want to miss the opening!"

Satoshi's grumbling about his mother joining them earned him a playful swat from the woman.

**§** **§**

"Here we are!"

Ookido pulled up in front of a long staircase, parking the car for a brief moment to allow Satoshi and Hanako to exit the vehicle. His mother waved cheerfully to the two, absolutely beaming before taking off to explore the city she'd been so excited to see. Satoshi rolled his eyes fondly and looked to Ookido when the older man pat the car to get his attention.

"I need to park the car so you can go on ahead, though please behave yourself." His tone was playful, though his eyes were a little more serious, and the teen laughed, hands perching on his hips.

"When have I _ever_ misbehaved?"

Ookido grunted, brows furrowing slightly as he turned forward, and Satoshi let out a bark of laughter, head falling back as the older man drove off. It took a moment for him to gather himself once more before he turned towards the stairs, excitement burning deep in his chest.

"Are you ready, Pikachu?"

An excited _'Pi-ka!'_ was his response and he chuckled, walking up the stairs with his partner in tow. As they got closer to the building, Satoshi was only even more in awe with it, the size and sight of it stunning. If he didn't know any better, he'd say the building was bigger than Ookido, but he knew the Professor's lab had far more layers than it looked like from the outside.

He was caught off guard when the sound of barking came from in front of him and he nearly missed a step before he looked down. He made eye contact with a small, yellow and white dog Pokémon that continued to yap away at him even when he acknowledged it. Excitement bubbled to the surface at the sight of a Pokémon he'd never seen before and it took everything in him not to drop to the ground and try to get closer to the dog. He did, however, find himself crouching fairly fast, the urge to reach a hand out towards it _extremely_ strong.

"Well look at _you_ ! You're a Pokémon I've never seen before!" He couldn't help but be glad the Professor wasn't with him as he cooed to the Pokémon, voice taking on a tone humans would normally use for a _baby_ , not a _Pokémon_. The dog continued to bark at him, fur raised on end and little bolt tail moving a hundred miles per minute. "What's your name, little guy?"

He almost reached for it when Pikachu hopped down from his shoulder, catching the little dog Pokémon's attention and bringing it to a halt. Satoshi could only watch in awe as it approached Pikachu and the two began sniffing one another before sparks quite literally began flying between the two. A fond smile curled his lips upwards as he watched his partner begin playing with this strange Pokémon, hands raising to support his head, elbows resting on his knees.

The sound of footsteps rising from behind him wasn't enough to make him look up, though he did begin to speak.

"Professor, look at-" He cut himself off when he saw someone who was very much so _not_ the professor appeared in his peripheral vision, gaze rising to see a girl at his side. The dog Pokémon looked up when it noticed her arrival and excited barking left it, the Pokémon immediately running towards her and circling her legs. Laughter bubbled from the girl's chest and she smiled down at it, eyes fond even though she didn't try to touch it.

"Hello, Wanpachi, it's good to see you, too." The Pokémon - now known as Wanpachi, that was knowledge Satoshi would hold onto - barked happily and looked towards Pikachu once more. It was if when it did that, _that_ was what made the girl finally notice Satoshi's presence and her form bristled. It was like she shut down, expression unsure, and he found himself smiling slightly, standing and moving to the side to allow her past. He could see the grateful gleam in her eyes as she quickly shuffled past, approaching the building he'd been approaching.

It wasn't until a heavy hand landed on his shoulder that Satoshi was snapped out of his thoughts, body instinctively flinching away for a brief moment, only for him to relax when he saw it was Ookido touching him and not some stranger.

"Ah, sorry, sorry, I forget sometimes," The professor pulled his hand back, offering the teen an apologetic smile, before looking towards the building, "We should hurry up or we'll be late to the opening ceremony."

Satoshi smiled, shaking his head slightly at the apology and following his gaze, voice loud and excited, "Right! Let's go!"

He knew he shouldn't have been as surprised as he was when he saw how many people were in the room where the ceremony was being held and yet his breath was still taken by the size of the crowd. He found himself lingering towards the back of it, taking advantage of his height to look over the heads of many towards the mini stage-like platform where others were standing where Sakuragi has yet to take his place. Ookido's presence demanded so much attention from his spot on the stage, many among the crowd whispering about him being there, and Satoshi couldn't help how his chest filled with secondhand pride on behalf of the professor. He knew how famous the professor was and he knew how much people respected him, but he always felt pride for the man when he heard how people whispered about his discoveries and what he's done for the Pokémon world.

Then the crowd fell silent as a new figure stepped up onto the stage and Satoshi recognized the man from images Ookido had shown him years ago. He could only watch in awe as the man seemed to demand nearly as much attention as Ookido did, his voice clear as he introduced himself and his lab. The teen watched him move across the stage, held on to each word he said and just barely managed to keep himself from letting out and awed yelled at the hologram that rose from the ground. Images flew across it and he knew his eyes were sparkling with awe and excitement from the sight, he wanted to get closer, he wanted to see what happened when you touched it, to see---

A bright red exclamation point appeared on the hologram and caught Satoshi's attention. 

"What is this..?" Sakuragi's genuine surprise only succeeded in making the teen more curious, eyes unmoving from the professor as he turned towards it, phone in hand. His awe only grew as the man did more with the hologram, but he didn't focus on that, no, he wanted to know what that exclamation point meant.

Then the professor started speaking once more.

"From this air flow, temperature, humidity, and altitude..," He started, turning towards the crowd with a large smile, "This is just my prediction, but in roughly twenty minutes, an exceedingly rare Pokémon will appear at Kuchiba Port!"

Excitement hit Satoshi like a train, the Professors speaking to one another flying over his head. _A rare Pokémon??_ It'd been so long since he'd gotten to see a rare Pokémon and he could feel the anticipation coursing through his veins. Hand shooting up, he was already backing towards the exit, a grin slowly spreading across his face.

" _Professors!_ I'll go have a look!" Pikachu cried out in agreement next to his head and then they were bolting, the voices of the crowd going ignored as she shot out of the Laboratory.

The sound of his feet hitting the concrete was like music to his ears as he bolted for the port. He wasn't familiar with the town, no, but that didn't stop him from following the smell of the Ocean. After traveling by sea so often, he had the scent of the salt water memorized and he could smell it _everywhere_ here, but it got stronger the closer to the source of it he got.

The sound of thunder clapping made him grin, picking up speed as his excitement grew tenfold. Not many rare Pokémon started storms when they appeared in places and he could think one specific one he would truly love to see.

And then he heard it. That _oh so familiar cry_ that he felt in every fiber of his being, a cry he'd gone years without hearing, a sound he didn't know he missed as much as he did. 

Seeing Lugia's large figure near the port made his heart skip a beat and he didn't know how fast he was running until he felt his legs begin aching from the force he was going. He saw moves hitting the Legendary Pokémon and a stunned laugh left him, breathless and broken by his running. People truly thought they could fight _Lugia_ ? Did they not understand how _powerful_ it truly was?

And then he was on the port without even noticing, watching first hand as Lugia blew away her opponents with ease. His chest heaved as he panted, muscles aching from how fast he'd run to reach a long lost friend. He watched as her large form lowered towards the water and he finally managed to speak, voice slightly strained yet ecstatic.

" _Lugia!_ Do you recognize me?"

And then those powerful eyes were on him and he held that eye contact like it was a lifeline. They stared, silence falling over both for a brief moment, before a loud cry ripped from the Pokémon's chest. Suddenly he was being slammed into by her large head, the air knocked out of his chest as Lugia lifted them from the ground and into the air. Strained laughter burst from Satoshi's chest and Pikachu cried out in excitement, the teen's arms wrapping around her head as he hugged her close as he allowed himself to be taken from the port and high into the air.

" _Hey_ , calm down! I missed you, too," He wheezed out, gulping in breaths of air into his lungs as he pressed his face against the Pokémon's head. Lugia cried out, the sound loud when he was directly on her head, and he felt his entire body shudder slightly from it.

' _Sorry_ .' Lugia's voice had changed and yet it was so familiar, so gentle in his mind. There was no doubt in his mind that this was the Lugia they had saved all those years ago and he felt himself tighten his embrace on the Pokémon on instinct as she turned her head towards her back to allow him onto it. He slid from her head and grunted when he landed on her back, body trembling slightly as it came down from the adrenaline he'd felt when running for the Pokémon and having the air knocked from him. _'Did I scare you?'_

A bark of laughter left Satoshi and he looked at her, grinning at the Legendary creature. Still concerned for him even after all these years apart.

"I'm alright, just a little worn out from running to the port." He chuckled when her head tilted curiously at his words and he ran a hand across her back, eyes sparkling. "I didn't want to miss you again."

Lugia cried out and he smiled, forcing himself up so that he could support himself on the strong muscle of her neck. It was so weird, how she was so big now compared to how small she'd been when he first met her all those years ago. He knew she would have grown, it's been a long time, but it still surprised him for some odd reason. Leaning against her, he relaxed as they soared through the air, the feeling of the wind brushing his skin relaxing and comforting. It'd been so long since he last felt this feeling, it felt like _home_ in a way. Not in the same way his real home did, where his mother was waiting for him with a meal and a room always waiting, but in that adventurer's way.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Lugia's back end drooped slightly, an annoyed sound rising from her throat, and he frowned slightly. He thought maybe she'd just hit something, but then a voice sounded from her tail.

" _Gonna fall!!_ "

Satoshi looked back at the voice and could only stare in silent shock when his eyes landed on another teen clinging onto Lugia's tail for dear life. He couldn't stop the stunned sound that left him and the stranger looked at him, his eyes staring directly into his before both ended up calling out.

" **_Who are you?!_ ** _"_

**§** **§**

The two teens were breathing heavily by the time Satoshi managed to pull the stranger onto Lugia's back and out of harm's way. Pikachu's concerned cry sounded next to his head, tiny paws gently touching his face, and he chuckled dryly, raising a hand to ruffle short yellow fur.

"I'm okay, I'm okay.." Forcing himself up, he looked towards Lugia's head to see her looking back at him, smiling at him with warm eyes. He felt embarrassment slowly rise in his chest and he huffed quietly, turning his gaze to the other teen, who seemed to be in silent shock for a moment. Satoshi prepared to say something, but was beat to it by the brunette.

" _Amazing_..I'm riding on Lugia..?!" His voice was thick with disbelief as he slowly pushed himself up, hands running across Lugia's back gently. Satoshi found himself watching in silent amusement at the pure awe in his gaze, a hand digging in his pocket to pull out a phone and begin recording her back and the fins gently moving in the wind. "So this is how it moves its wings..and..it's skin is rougher than I thought it'd be.."

Satoshi found himself laughing, earning the other's attention as he leaned against a large, purple fin.

"Yeah, but she's really warm, isn't she?" He grinned back at him and gently rubbed his cheek against Lugia's fin, Pikachu agreeing cheerfully at his side, before he pushed himself away from the fin. An amused chuckle rumbled from his chest and he turned towards her head once more, leaning back on his hands with a small grin. "Then again, she _is_ Lugia, of course she's warm."

"You're calling it a she...how do you know it's a female?" His voice was full of genuine confusion and Satoshi would have answered if it weren't for Lugia's loud cry. Despite being familiar with Lugia's cry, Satoshi flinched on instinct at the volume, but he felt true pity for the other, who curled in on himself slightly with his hands over his ears.

Looking at her face, he recognized the gleam of mischief in those big red eyes and he felt himself grin. He was glad it'd been a while since he ate lunch now and he instinctively grabbed onto a fin, only for her to begin flying erratically as soon as he did. Laughter burst from his chest while the other teen let out a fearful yell, clinging onto a large fin as well in his panic. Pikachu squealed from his spot in his trainer's lap, ears back, and the two enjoyed the ride all while their new acquaintance was scared beyond belief.

It wasn't until they were flying normally higher up that he calmed, his yells stopping, and Satoshi snickered, looking to the side only to let out a yell of his own.

" _Onidrill!!_ "

"Onidrill flying at the same height as Lugia..they're really strong flyers!" The other chirped, eyes shining as he recorded the large bird Pokémon. Satoshi found himself grinning at his awe and took advantage of the momentary calm to hold a hand out to him.

"I'm Satoshi," He started, catching him off guard and making him jump slightly, "Nice to meet you!"

Blue eyes darted towards him and he stared at one another for a moment before he slowly took his hand with his free one.

"Gou."

He felt himself grin widely.

"Well, Gou, I hope you're ready for the adventure of a lifetime."

Gou didn't even have time to question his words before Lugia was diving straight down, pulling a loud laugh from Satoshi and a surprised yell from Gou. At the speed they were approaching the water, Satoshi wasn't surprised his new friend thought they were going to crash, but seeing the pure awe on his face when Lugia used a move to split the water was worth not saying a word. The water falling around them was stunning and he felt so safe, a feeling he missed so greatly.

' _Here we go._ '

Her voice caught him off guard, she hadn't spoken to him since earlier, but when he looked up and saw her head breach the water, he let out a startled noise and quickly held his breath, feeling the water encase them. Pikachu and Gou's startled sounds as they quickly held their breaths almost made him laugh, but he just barely held it together as he allowed himself to adjust to the water all around them.

But when his eyes opened, he almost let all the air out in one go when he saw the stunning sight before him. Nudging Gou with his elbow and gently tapping Pikachu with his hand, the three of them looked forward in awe as Pokémon swam all around them. Everywhere they looked there was a different water type Pokémon, the creatures surrounding them from all sides. He felt Gou move at his side, but didn't look at him in favor of the Tattu surrounding him and Pikachu from all sides.

And then they touched them and he and his partner laughed in unison, only to immediately hold their breath in realization. To his side, he saw bubbles escape Gou and quickly looked at him, both teens sharing a look of panic. Satoshi was quick to pat Lugia’s back in warning and he could _feel_ her laughter in his mind despite there being no sound. She listened, however, her large body going upright fast and taking them out of the water in a swift movement. Both teens and Pikachu gasped for air once they were freed from the water, Satoshi melting against Lugia's back, and Gou laughed breathlessly at his side.

"That was close.." He sighed heavily, leaning back with an exasperated huff. Satoshi laughed slightly and pushed himself up so he was sitting next to him, brown hues meeting blue.

"But it was fun, right," He started, leaning forward slightly with a grin, "We got to meet a lot of new Pokémon and that's always fun!"

A moment passed, Gou staring at him in utter shock at his seemingly unfazed reaction to almost drowning. Then, a bark of laughter erupted from his chest, head falling back slightly as his body shook with laughter. Satoshi found his grin only growing at the sound, shoulders shaking with silent laughter while Pikachu looked between them curiously.

"You're an interesting person, Satoshi," He hummed once his laughter calmed, looking at him with a grin of his own. Satoshi snorted, eyes rolling playfully, and was prepared to speak with Gou continued. "I accept."

A moment passed before Satoshi tilted his head slightly in a similar manner to that of a Gardie.

"You accept what? What was offered?" The genuine confusion on his face made Gou snort before he quickly gathered his composure and pointed a thumb towards himself, chest puffing slightly.

"I accept you as my friend, of course!" He seemed so proud of himself that Satoshi almost felt bad for laughing, but it didn't seem to phase him too much. Eyes rolling in amusement, Satoshi held a hand out once more.

"Well, if we're going to be friends, let's do a more proper introduction, yeah?" He grinned widely and he stared at him in silent wonder for a moment before laughing as well.

"Fine, fine. I'm Gou of Kuchiba City!" He clapped his hand with Satoshi's, squeezing ever so slightly and making him laugh.

"I'm Satoshi of Masara Town! And this is my partner, Pikachu," He motioned his head towards Pikachu, the mouse Pokémon chirped excitedly next to his head. The two teens laughed, both grinning, and shook hands with a laugh.

"Nice to meet you!"

When they let go and Gou offered a hand to Pikachu, Satoshi _cackled_ when his partner playfully sparked at him, falling back as the Pokémon snickered to himself. Gou huffed for a moment before laughing as well, rolling his eyes playfully.

Their moment of friendship was broken, however, when Lugia decided to dive, pulling startled yells from both teens this time, both holding onto her for dear life and only relaxing once she was flying horizontally once more. A relieved breath left Satoshi as Lugia slowly made a landing, carefully sitting herself down on the large grassy plain she'd taken them all to. Lowering her body, she looked back at them expectantly, as if waiting for them to climb off, and the raven haired teen snorted, following her silent demand and sliding down from her back. Gou looked down at the ground, expression unsure, and Satoshi chuckled, offering a hand out to him with a small grin.

"Need help?" He teased, eyes sparkling with amusement. The other huff, shooting him a brief glare, but he took his hand anyways, using his help to slide from Lugia's back. Once they were both on the ground, she let out a pleased coo and laid down on the ground, causing Gou to grumble about how she ' _could have done that when we were still on her_ ' and earning a surprisingly gentle wack from one of her fins.

Satoshi snorted and rolled his eyes slightly at the two before moving towards Lugia, flopping down on the ground beside her so he could use her large form to lean against. The Legendary Pokémon made a sound, huffing yet not forcing him away. No, instead she reared her head back and dropped as much of her head onto his lap as she could, the teen grunting at the heavy weight of it. He raised his hands to pet her anyways, rough skin a familiar feeling he'd missed.

Gou sat next to Satoshi after a moment and stared at him silently, brows furrowing in silence before he shook his head.

"I don't understand you. It's as if you know this Lugia personally, it-" He paused at the hard look he was given and cleared his throat, " _She_ seems so comfortable with you."

Satoshi hummed and looked down at the large head that was partially on his lap, partially on the ground, smiling slightly at her.

"That's because I _do_ know her." He looked to Gou slightly and snorted at the shocked look on his new friend's face, shaking his head slightly with a sigh. "Team Rocket tried to take her from her mother when she was still a baby. Takashi, Kasumi, and I rescued her from them before they could take her away and we imprinted on each other a bit. I promised we'd see each other again because of course we would, but who would have thought it'd be because she decided to come to a _town_."

A hand gripped his arm and he bristled for a brief moment before relaxing, looking at Gou with a quirked brow as he stared at him in pure shock.

"You saved her from _Team Rocket_?!" The genuine shock in his voice made Satoshi chuckle quietly, head tilting slightly.

"I deal with Team Rocket a lot, so it's not a big deal. I'm just glad she got out of it safe," He paused and then looked down at her with a dirty look, "Though she's going to have to be more careful now after appearing in a, may I repeat, **_town_ ** _._ "

Lugia shrunk away from the look, a whine leaving the large Pokémon as she looked away from him. Satoshi huffed quietly, rolling his eyes slightly and looking back to Gou with an exasperated smile.

"But in short, yeah, I know her," Then he grinned, reaching out and taking Gou's hand, pulling it towards Lugia, "And now you can say _you_ know her, too."

Gou tensed when his hand was brought near Lugia's face, his eyes not moving away from the Legendary out of pure fear for a moment. Red eyes looked up at him, staring him down for a moment before she bumped her head against his hand gently, humming deeply. A breathless sound left him, eyes widening in shock and awe as he gently pet her head, careful of her eyes. The older teen simply smiled, amused by the sight and shaking his head slightly, sharing a smile with his Pikachu. Blue eyes were suddenly on him again, boring into his own eyes, and he felt himself shrink away from the intensity slightly.

"Where's her mom?" The question caught Satoshi off guard and he stared back at him for a moment before looking to Lugia, brows furrowing.

"I don't know. Probably living somewhere far away from people, wouldn't you after someone tried to kidnap your baby?" He looked to him and Gou chuckled dryly, looking to Lugia.

"Yeah, I probably would." He continued petting Lugia for a long moment before letting out a sigh, pulling his hand away and leaning back, staring up at the blue sky. "I know we probably should, but I don't want to go home yet. It's so nice, you know? Being somewhere like this, surrounded by the world and just.. _being_ in the presence of an incredible Pokémon like Lugia, it's.. _amazing_ , y'know?"

Satoshi stared at Gou for a moment, listening to him speak, how he admired Lugia and being here. It was really something, hearing how he spoke about the Legendary Pokémon sitting behind them, no shame in his eyes, no embarrassment, just pure honesty. Satoshi found himself grinning slightly and he leaned back against Lugia, eyes closing as he ran his fingers across the top of her head. Pikachu's sudden weight on his chest wasn't an unwelcome one, his free hand raising to scratch behind his ears gently and pulling a pleased trill from him.

"Then let's stay, for just a bit long," He looks to Gou slightly and grins, nodding to the spot beside him so he could lean against Lugia as well, "It won't kill us."

Gou's eyes widened slightly and he frowned slightly, looking to the spot he'd motioned to before looking back to his face. Satoshi simply quirked a brow, grinning down at him, and he felt his self-control crack. A slow sigh slid past his lips and he shuffled towards the spot, leaning back against Lugia's large body and feeling her warmth seep through his clothes like a Booster's body heat would. It was comforting, it felt safe, and he found himself melting into it, eyes closing.

"I guess it won't be the end of the world to stay just a bit longer.." He grumbled, arms crossing over his stomach. Satoshi laughed and closed his eyes as well, basking in the heat of both Lugia and the sun.

"It'll be fine, we have Lugia to protect us, right?" His hand slid down her neck and the Legendary cooed, chest shaking slightly with the sound. Both teens laughed at that before allowing themselves to simply relax.

Neither remembers falling asleep.

Neither remembers Lugia lifting them onto her back once more.

Neither remembers her taking them home.

All they remember is waking up outside Kuchiba City, safe and where they could be seen if someone walked past..and in Satoshi's lap laid a singular long, white feather, the same texture as Lugia's elegant wings.

**§** **§**

" _We made it!_ "

Their celebratory cries rang out in unison as the two teens stood proudly at the entrance of Sakuragi's Lab, arms high in the air. Pikachu cried out next to his owner, much smaller legs up in the air as well, gentle sparks dancing from his cheeks. Satoshi looked at his partner and snorted, crouching down to ruffle the fur atop his head with a grin, prepared to say something when a familiar barking came barreling at them from the entrance of the lab.

Wanpachi's small form charged from the lab, excitedly yapping as she charged the mouse Pokémon. Pikachu’s shrill excitement as the electric Pokémon rubbed their cheeks together pulled laughter from the teens, neither even aware that Wanpachi had been followed by her own until they heard her clear her throat.

“You’re late, Gou!” Koharu huffed out, stepping outside the lab and crossing her arms over her chest. Gou’s eyes lit up at the sight of his childhood friend and he quickly stepped towards her, seemingly shaking with pure excitement.

“Koharu! Listen to this! We just had a fateful encounter..,” He raised his hands to grab her shoulders, bouncing on his toes slightly, “,with Lugia!!! We met Lugia!!”

Koharu leaned back from her friend slightly, lips quirking into an amused little smirk as Gou went on about the Legendary Pokémon, rambling about the adventure he’d just gone on. She hadn’t even noticed the other teen standing next to them until she heard him snicker quietly, her eyes briefly flicking towards him to meet a pair of deep brown hues watching them.

She would have questioned him if it weren’t for Gou’s slow sigh, his hands falling from her shoulders.

“I hope I get to see her again..” He murmured, frowning down at the ground. From his right, he felt Satoshi place a hand on his shoulder and he looked up, meeting his grin with a curious look.

“Of course you will! You’re friends now!” Leaning back, he thumped a fist to his chest as he grinned down at the other. His chest puffed slightly with pride when Gou laughed, that familiar feeling of joy from making a friend laugh filling his heart.

Calming, Gou snickered under his friend and rolled his eyes, looking to Koharu with a small grin. “Is Chief Sakuragi still inside?”

Koharu sighed slowly, eyes rolling slightly as she stepped to the side slightly. She couldn’t help how her eyes continued to flicker towards Satoshi, an odd feeling of familiarity falling over her, but she tried to focus on answering her friend’s question first and foremost.

“He’s talking to Professor Ookido in the lab, apparently he’s waiting for some-”

Koharu was cut off by the sound of the sounds of alarm that escaped Gou and Satoshi.

“Professor Ookido is here?!” “ _Shit_ , the professor is gonna kill me!”

Koharu and Gou both flinched at the curse, staring at the raven haired teen in shock as he bolted past the shorter teens and into the building, Pikachu hot on his tail. The two shared a look, both genuinely surprised, before they also followed him into the lab, curious to see what was about to happen.

**§** **§**

" _Satoshi Ketchum._ ” Ookido’s voice was stern as he watched his pupil approach him, arms crossed over his chest. Satoshi at least had the decency to look guilty, gaze dropping to the ground as he shuffled closer to the professor, Pikachu chirping apologetically from his shoulder. “I know you were going to go see what Professor Sakuragi had picked up with the sensors, but you were gone for _10 hours_ ..you could have at least taken _this_ ,” Reaching into his pocket, Ookido pulled the teen’s phone from it, “with you and told us you wouldn’t be back right away.” 

“I’m sorry, Professor..I left it in the car without thinking and ended up going off with Lugia for a bit-” He flinched at the look he was given, “-a while.”

The two stared at one another for a moment before a slow sigh left the Professor, a hand raising to pat Satoshi’s back gently.

“You’re lucky we’re used to you running off, your mother would have had a heart attack had you done this years ago. Just make sure you remember your phone next time.” He offered the teen a warm smile and a relieved breath left Satoshi, followed by a short laugh. He was glad Ookido wasn’t actually upset with him, just worried about him.

“I will, Professor Ookido.”

It was only when this conversation stopped that Sakuragi spoke up, an excited Gou vibrating at his side.

 **“** So you two met Lugia? **”** He questioned, pulling Satoshi’s attention towards him. He immediately lit up, quickly joining the new Professor and his friend at the machine in the middle of the room with almost the same levels of excitement causing him to bounce in place slightly. Gou handed his phone to the professor as he began typing on a small keyboard and he could only watch in awe as Sakuragi connected the device to the machine.

Images and videos immediately began popping up and Sakuragi made a small sound of amazement, hand moving up to gently grip his chin as he viewed the videos. The two teens shared a grin when the professor leaned closer to the hologram, an impressed smile spreading across his face.

“Incredible..Nobody’s ever caught footage of Lugia’s fins mid-flight this close up before..!” The professor’s voice was thick with awe as he watched each video pop up on the screen.

“That’s not even the biggest surprise!” Gou spoke up from behind him, standing upright with a grin as they rubbed their nose slightly. An amused snicker rumbled from Satoshi’s chest and he shot the younger a brief grin before looking back to the videos just in time to see the underwater shots come up.

“Is this..underwater?!” Sakuragi seemed to lean even closer, eyes shining with excitement as his hands lifted, twitching as if they wanted to touch something he was aware he couldn’t. “Amazing, Gou!!”

Gou positively beamed at the praise, a hand moving to rub the back of his neck as he let out a pleased giggle. Satoshi found himself grinning at the two, chuckling quietly, when he heard a familiar voice clear his throat behind him, a hand on his back not as startling as it would have been without the clear of his throat. 

“How about you, Satoshi? Anything interesting happen on your little adventure?” Ookido questioned, smiling at the teen when he spun towards him.

The raven haired boy’s eyes _gleamed_ with excitement and joy, bouncy on his toes slightly. Pikachu quickly climbed to his trainers head, chirping with his trainer’s excitement, and the professor couldn’t help but chuckle at his pupil and the Pokémon.

“Remember the baby Lugia and its mother I told you about when I was traveling with Takashi and Kasumi?” His voice shook with excitement and he stepped towards the professor, _beaming_ . “It was her! She talked to me and everything, she _remembered_ me! ...it was the baby, not the mom, I see why that would be confusing-”

As Satoshi broke off into quiet mumbling, Ookido laughed while Sakuragi gawked at the duo, shock written all over his face.

“You had a prior relationship with this Lugia? And you _spoke_ to it??” Sakuragi spoke up excitedly, cutting off the teen’s murmuring, and Satoshi turned towards him with a grin, chest puffing slightly.

“Of course I did! I rescued her!”

Gou looked between Satoshi and the Professor for a brief moment before clapping a hand over his face, a slow sigh slipping past his lips. In seconds, Sakuragi was in Satoshi’s space, hands gripping his shoulders even as the teen bristled under his touch.

“That’s incredible, Satoshi!” He exclaimed, eyes shining with excitement. Satoshi swallowed thickly, shooting Ookido a brief look, and the elder Professor took a step forward to gently touch his colleague’s arm. Sakuragi blinked and quickly pulled his hands back, clearing his throat subtly.

Swallowing thickly, the teen rolled his shoulders and offered a mildly strained smile, head tilting. “What, uh..What is?”

Sakuragi stared at him in silent surprise before clearing his throat more openly, hands raising to fidget with his lab coat. 

“It’s incredible that you knew this Legendary Pokémon in the past and even more incredible that the two of you managed to spend so much time with it today.” Looking between the teens, the Professor smiles at both of them, taking on a more professional air about him.

“Satoshi, Gou. I’m profoundly grateful for your initiative.” Turning towards the hologram slightly, Sakuragi smiles, eyes slipping shut. “You’ve let me learn unknown secrets about Lugia!”

Satoshi and Gou shared a look before they both found themselves laughing a little, the elder rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly while Gou puffed up, rubbing his nose slightly. Sakuragi couldn’t help but smile, looking at Ookido for a brief moment and sharing a slight nod with the older man before looking back to them.

“So, I have a request for you..,” He started, gathering their attention once more, “Would you become Research Fellows at my laboratory?”

“Research Fellows..?” Satoshi cocked his head to the side slightly, curiosity gleaming in his eyes, and Gou sighed next to him, gently nudging him with his elbow.

“It means special lab assistants.” He explained, waving a hand slightly along with his words.

A moment of silence fell over them before an excited sound bubbled from the raven haired boy’s throat, eyes shining as he turns towards Sakuragi once more. The professor laughed at the reaction, hands folding behind his back as he smiled down at the two.

“I want you to meet, touch, and speak to all the Pokémon of the world, and then..," His hands moved from behind him and spread out to the sides, "we will deepen our knowledge of Pokémon! Together!"

“I’ve been waiting to hear that..!” Gou held his chin in a similar way he’d seen the Professor do when thinking, a grin spread across his face. Rather dramatically, he moved his hand outward, eyes shining, “This is the new future I should take in hand, yeah?”

Next to him, Satoshi was quiet for a moment, shoulders shaking as his hat hid his expression. It earned him a curious look from the others for a brief moment and Sakuragi looked ready to question it when he was stopped by the excited cheer that burst from the teen. Pikachu sparked on top of his trainer’s head, tail moving quickly in unison with Satoshi’s slight bouncing.

“Of course! It’ll be like the good old days when I was helping you, Professor Ookido!” He turned to the older man, grinning widely, and the professor laughed, quirking an amused brow.

“I suppose, though you’ve been more-so just filling the Pokédexes, this will be different to that, Satoshi.” He spoke, voice thick with amusement. Satoshi huffed quietly, hands perching on his hips as he looks to the side, cheeks puffed out.

“It still counts..” He grumbled, Pikachu’s huffy ‘Pik _aaa_ ’ sounding next to his head in agreement.

Sakuragi and Gou shared a brief look before they both laughed, the professor grinning excitedly.

“So you both accept?”

The teens turned on the professor quickly, Gou’s shoulder pressing into Satoshi’s as he leaned forward.

“Sure! I won’t lose to Satoshi, though!” He exclaimed, shooting the mentioned boy a sly grin.

An affronted sound left him and he pressed back into Gou’s shoulder, grinning as well. “Well I won’t lose to you, either!”

Pikachu’s excited cheering sounded by their feet, the mouse Pokémon running around them as the two teens yelled and laughed.

The excitement was cut off when Hanako stepped towards her son, apparently having heard the conversation.

“Are you sure, Satoshi? Commuting from Masara Town to here will be tough..” Gentle eyes shown with concern and Satoshi’s shoulders slumped slightly, a contemplative hum rumbling from his chest.

“If that’s so..” Sakuragi spoke up, earning the mother and son’s attention.

**§§**

The door was surprisingly quiet as it was opened, not creaking like some of the other doors in the building. Sakuragi glanced back at the teens, stepping to the side to allow them in, and chuckling at the excited sounds the large room earned from the boys.

“Is this our own dorm?” Gou questioned, eyes shining bright as he glanced back at the professor. Next to him, Satoshi began moving around excitedly, looking at anything and everything he could.

“ _Cooolll..!!_ ”

Hanako entered the room with Ookido and her Pokémon to see her boy and his new friend wrestling on the floor for the top bunk, Pikachu and Wanpachi playing on the bed, and an amused giggle bubbled up from her chest. It warmed her heart to see the wide grin on her son’s face, a familiar look she’d see oh so often when he’d call during his adventures.

“Well, in that case..,” She started, turning to her Barrierd, “Barri-chan, look after Satoshi for me, okay?”

The Mime Pokémon nodded cheerily, bumping her chest with a humanoid fist and earning an amused giggle from her trainer.

Standing upright, Hanako cleared her throat, earning her Satoshi’s attention. The older teen shoved Gou from atop him, the younger letting out a startled noise, and stood from the ground approaching her. The woman smiled warmly at her son and held a hand out to him, glad to see him not hesitate to place his hand in her own like he did with others sometimes.

“Take this, you’ll need it.” Flipping his hand in her own, she placed Barrierd’s Pokéball in his hand, earning a surprised look from Satoshi. Looking between Hanako and the Mime Pokémon, he stared at them for a moment before smiling warmly.

“Thanks, Mom.”

“See you later, Mom, Professor!” Satoshi grinned down at his mother and the professor from the street, the familiar weight of Barrierd’s hand on his arm odd yet not unwelcome. Hanako smiled back and seemed ready to leave when a look of realization appeared on her face.

“Oh that’s right!” Sitting up in the car seat, she turned to look at Satoshi fully, expression trying to be stern, though it wasn’t clear with how soft her gaze really was. "Make sure you eat properly, and that includes the vegetables! Oh, and brush your teeth, and-"

“Ma, _please_ , I’m _19_..” A flush danced across his face and he ducked his head slightly, using his hat to hide the red tint to his cheeks. Laughter fluttered from the older woman’s chest and she smiled fondly before turning her gaze to Gou, offering him a smile.

“Gou, look after my son.”

Looking at the taller teen, Gou grinned cheekily and nudged him with his elbow slightly before placing a hand to his own chest. “ _Leave it to me._ ”

“Oh cut it _out_!”

Laughing from the driver’s seat, Ookido raised a hand from the wheel to wave to both his pupils and Gou, smiling at all of them. “Alright! See you soon. Be careful, Satoshi.” Satoshi grinned at the professor, nodded proudly, and earning a laugh from his teacher.

“I’ll be waiting for you, Professor Ookido!” Sakuragi spoke up, bowing slightly to his mentor. 

Barrierd and Satoshi waved in unison to Hanako, watching the car pull off and leaving them at the gates. There was barely any time between the car pulling off and Kohaku’s voice speaking up to earn everyone’s attention.

“Dad! Still not ready?” She questioned, tone exasperated as she approached her father. She glanced briefly to the Wanpachi that ran up to her before looking back to her father, hands perching on her hips.

“Ahh, I’m so sorry! Just wait a little longer and then we can go home!” Sakuragi looks at the boys at his side, offering them both a smile. “There’s one more important thing I’d forgotten!”

Three familiar Pokémon are released from their Pokéballs and Satoshi can’t contain his excited gasp at the sight of them. Pikachu’s thrilled chirping on his head showed he wasn’t the only one excited to see them and he dropped to the ground, laughing cheerful when the trio charged him for attention.

“Hitokage! Fushigidane! Zenigame!” He laughed out, hands immediately occupied with petting them and giving them as much attention as he could.

"I still hadn't given you your starter Pokémon for your trainer debut, had I?" Sakuragi spoke up, laughing in amusement at the way the raven haired boy played with the Starters. Looking to Gou, he tilts his head with a grin. “So. Who do you choose?”

Gou stared at the fire, water, and grass Pokémon as they played with Satoshi, gaze curious, and he found himself grinning slightly.

“I..I choose _Mew_.”

“What?” Satoshi quickly spoke up, sitting up from his spot on the ground to give Gou an incredulous look. Gou’s chest puffed slightly and his grin widened, hands shoved into his pockets.

“I’ve decided that Mew will be my first Pokémon!”

“The Mythical Pokémon?!” It was Sakuragi’s turn to be in shock and Kohaku sighed slowly from beside her father, rubbing her forehead. Gou ran up to the hologram, hands moving to bring up a blurred image of the Mythical Pokémon, turning towards the others with a wide grin.

“ _That_ future already lies in my hands, too, yeah?!”

Satoshi stared up at his new friend, hands occupied by the Hitokage in his lap as the Zenigame climbed him and Fushigidane played with Wanpachi. A slow grin spread across his face and he laughed, leaning down to rest his chin on the Hitokage’s head.

“You’re a really interesting guy, Gou.” He spoke up, snickering to himself. Gou snorted and grinned right back, arms spreading out.

“Not as interesting as you, though.” He felt a feint flush dust his cheeks, but it was quick to fade when Satoshi laughed and threw his hands up.

“I win then!” He laughed out, head throwing back, and Gou let out an affronted sound.

“What?! No! In that case, _I’m_ more interesting!”

“No _me!_ ”

Koharu sighed slowly, head dropping as she shook her head at the two as they yelled back and forth, exciting the starters, Pikachu, and Wanpachi.

“Oh who even cares..?” She sighed out, raising a hand to her forehead. Sakuragi couldn’t help but burst out into laughter, amusement clear in his eyes as he beams down at Gou and Satoshi.

“Then I’ll be waiting..,” He started, earning their attention, “to learn Mew’s secrets!”

Sharing a look, both grinned and nodded to the professor, shining with excitement.

“Yes, Sir!”

_‘Pika-chu~!’_


	2. The Oh-Sou Mysterious Fushigisou!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Satoshi and Gou find themselves butting heads when they don't agree on how to deal with wild Pokémon. This ends with them unable to normally interact with one another until they end up with no other choice but to help one another.
> 
> At the end of the day, Gou accidentally gets to learn a secret that not many people know about Satoshi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _This is the longest chapter I've literally ever written before in my life??? Almost 12k words??? Holy Shit???_

The rising sun cast a warm beam through the slits in the blinds, a small mouse Pokémon chirping softly as he rolled where the sunlight hit, basking in the warmth.

On the bottom bunk, subtle chuckles could be heard rumbling from Satoshi's chest, the subtle glow of his phone illuminating his face. He doesn't remember waking up, all his mind supplying him being a notification stirring him and his partner from their rest. He ended up unable to fall back asleep after the brief conversation and so he continued it despite the other's complaints, leading him to speaking for Arceus knows how long, his laughter muffled as to not wake the other teen sleeping above him.

Apparently he didn't have to silence himself for any longer, however, when the sound of Gou's alarm going off pierced the silent air. Pokemon and Trainer both wince at the sound, a quiet grumble sounding from the tired brunette.

"Satoshi..are you awake..?" His voice was slurred slightly due to only just waking up and Satoshi found himself snorting slightly at it, finally pushing himself up so he was sitting up in his own bed.

"I'm awake, but it sounds like you're not." He teased lightly, raising a hand to gently punch the metal support beneath the mattress above him. A low whine was his answer and he couldn't help but laugh once more, flopping back onto his own bed with an exasperated huff. He would have raised from the bed to wake Gou up if it weren't for the familiar cry of Barrierd opening the dorm door, her first item of the day seeming to be a vacuum as she cleaned her way into the room.

Pikachu let out a high-pitched cry when the vacuum neared him, quick to scramble out of the light and onto his trainer, sparking at Barrierd in frustration. The Mime Pokémon seemed to laugh, rubbing the back of her head apologetically before her attention moved to Gou's bed. Looking to her temporary trainer, he simply shrugged helplessly with a smile, earning a curious sound from her.

Before he could even question what she was doing, the 'imaginary' vacuum was raised to Gou's bed, the end of his blanket being sucked up in seconds. In one swift movement, she jerked the blanket from the sleeping teen, earning a loud grunt of protest as he rolled over to look at the offending Pokémon. While he glared, Barrierd simply perked up, the vacuum seemingly having disappeared as she perched her hands on her hips, a proud cry leaving her.

If Satoshi earned a whack from Gou's pillow for his sudden outburst of laughter, well, it was worth it.

Neither could help the sounds of pure awe that left them when they entered the dining area, a buffet of food sitting out and waiting for them. There were different kinds scattered across the table and Satoshi could recognize some foods from completely different regions, this only realization beginning to excite him even more.

"I'm gonna get a stomach ache if we're allowed to eat as much as we want." He tried to joke, but the statement was more genuine than intended as he quickly moved to get a plate of his own, holding another out to Gou. The brunette snorted quietly, taking the offered dish and looking to him from the corner of his eyes, grinning ever so slightly.

"But of course we can, Satoshi! After all, we're," He trails off just to puff up slightly, eyes sparkling with excitement, "research fellows."

Satoshi and Pikachu both stared at Gou for a long moment before the teen burst out laughing, his Pokémon giggling next to his head.

"You're so excited about being research fellows." He teased, nudging Gou slightly with his elbow before beginning to get food for himself and Pikachu. Gou huffed at the teasing, getting his own food all while puffing his cheeks out slightly.

Food in hand, the two took their seats at the dining table, Pikachu sat beside his trainer with a bowl of Pokéfood as the two teens dug into their own human food.

Gou made the mistake of asking about Satoshi's adventures since he seems to have had plenty and ended up giving the entire conversation to the older teen as he went on about the different places he's been. He didn't bring up the more negative things that have happened, he didn't want to tell his new friend how he's died before because of Legendary Pokémon, but he tried to tell him as much as he could as long as it was on a lighter note. It didn't seem to bother Gou, though, his eyes absolutely shining as he went on, hanging on to every word that left the raven haired teen's mouth all while trying to drink and take notes on what was being said at the same time.

They wouldn't have noticed that the Professor and Koharu had arrived at the lab if it weren't for the familiar yaps of Wanpachi, the small electric dog still unused to Satoshi's presence.

"Director Sakuragi!" Gou was the first to speak up due, turning in his chair so he could properly see his mentor. Sakuragi smiled at them, raising a hand to wave slightly as he approached their table.

"Good morning!" He spoke warmly, chuckling to himself when Wanpachi followed him to bark at Satoshi from an even closer position.

Said boy grumbled to himself, but smiled brightly at the Professor and Koharu anyways, ignoring his disappointment about how much the dog Pokémon disliked him. "Good morning-" His greeting was cut off but an affronted noise when Pikachu jumped down from the table in front of Wanpachi and she immediately relaxed, cheerfully rubbing her cheek against his. The professor let out a bark of laughter as Satoshi pouted, arms crossing over his chest in an obvious pout.

Gou chuckled to himself at the sight before he turned his gaze to Koharu, watching her move around the kitchen.

"Morning, Koharu." He spoke up, earning her attention and a rare smile from the younger girl.

"Good morning."

"Did you sleep well?" Sakuragi spoke up, pulling the conversation away from greetings and to seeing if the teens enjoyed their new dorms. Satoshi lit up, perking in his seat slightly as his hands moved to his drink so they could stay occupied.

"Perfectly! It's the first time I've slept so soundly in a place that wasn't one of my homes!" Even as he beamed, the professor couldn't help the confused look that flickered across his face, though he didn't get to question it due to Gou speaking up.

"You even have a food counter here, it's like an actual house..This is the best!" He couldn't help but laugh before shooting Satoshi a sly little grin, eyes sparkling. "Satoshi's been stuffing his face since he got here."

"So have you!" Said teen laughed out, not denying it but turning it on his friend as well. Gou laughed, murmuring his agreement, when their attention was pulled to Koharu calling out to Wanpachi.

"I'll put you food and water here." She hummed, her voice all it taking to make the dog Pokémon leave her new friend and charge to where her person was. A few snacks grabbed and she was leaving as soon as they arrived, walking back towards the entrance. "See you later."

"Sure. See you later." Sakuragi simply smiled, used to his daughter's mannerisms, but Gou frowned behind him. Despite how long he's known her, he couldn't help but be a little upset that she was leaving already.

"You should eat with us.." He spoke up, his voice portraying his feelings. The statement earned him a sigh from Koharu, though she at least looked a little apologetic when she shot him a short glance on her way to the door.

"I already ate and I don't want to be late to school." She only stopped briefly at the door, but it was long enough for her to hear a dramatic sigh leave her childhood friend.

"Ah yes, you still have to graduate because you're still a kid."

"I'm _17_!" She barked out before closing the door behind her. Sakuragi let out an exasperated laugh at the two's interaction, fondly rolling his eyes before looking at the boys with a smile.

"I'll see you in a bit, I'll be in the main area." Raising a hand to wave slightly, he turned and began walking to where his first presentation had been, an amused smile curling his lips upwards when he heard Gou quickly follow him, Satoshi scrambling to finish eating so he could follow as well with his Pokémon mirroring his actions.

Things were going to be interesting with them here now.

******§§**

"I'm so sorry!"

A voice called out from behind the trio, causing them all to turn towards the source of it. While a look of recognition crossed Sakuragi's face, Satoshi and Gou both looked curious at the blonde who pretty much keeled over in front of them, panting heavily.

"The bust got stuck in traffic.." He wheezed out between breaths, slowly regaining his composure and standing upright. The boys continued to look at him in confusion, their lack of reactions making Sakuragi let out a small sound of realization.

"Oh that's right," He started, chuckling quietly to himself, "I hadn't introduced you yet." Meeting the blonde's eyes, Sakuragi gave him the opening and he smiled sheepishly, raising a hand to the back of his head.

"I'm Renji, an assistant here." Renji introduced himself, letting out an embarrassed little huff of laughter. Sakuragi chuckled himself and motioned towards the side, pulling the teens' attention towards a woman.

"And my other assistant-"

"I'm Kikuna." Kikuna spoke up, cutting the professor off before he could introduce her. Her attention didn't stay on them long, however, her eyes flickering towards the monitors once more as she began typing away. "The cause of the traffic jam is up on the news site."

Despite having seen and interacted with it the day before, Gou and Satoshi couldn't help the noises of awe that left them when the hologram came to life, Sakuragi quick to approach it. Images popped up and Satoshi felt excitement bubble up in his chest, bouncing slightly on his heels at the familiar Pokémon on the screen.

"It's Fushigisou!" 

"A city-wide outbreak of Fushigisou..?" Gou spoke up from the other side of the professor, brows furrowing curiously.

"Fushigidane..Fushigisou..Fushigibana..True to the mystery in their names, they're full of mysteries." Sakuragi smiled up at the images, eyes gleaming with curiosity.

At his sides, he noticed Satoshi bouncing on his heels before turning on Gou, grinning widely.

"Let's go investigate!" His voice was thick with excitement and Sakuragi chuckled to himself, gaze flicking to Gou to see his reaction.

"This'll be our first job as Research Fellows at the Sakuragi Institute..!" Even Gou was visibly thrumming with excitement and it only seemed to fuel Satoshi's, the raven haired teen grinning widely.

"Yeah!" Turning his gaze to the Pikachu on his shoulder, Satoshi lifted a hand to scratch under her chin, eyes gleaming, "Let's give it all we've got, Pikachu!" The electric mouse sparked ever so slightly, pointed ears moving back as a determined ' _Pika-chu!_ ' left the Pokémon. Sakuragi raised a hand to gain the teens' attention and they both looked at him, curiosity mixing with excitement.

"Can you take out your smartphones for me first?" He questioned, taking a step back from him. Gou and Satoshi exchanged a confused look before pulling their devices out of their pockets. The conversation would have continued if it weren't for the flustered sound that burst from Satoshi, tanned skin tinted a deep red as he stared at his phone screen.

"Satoshi? What're you looking at?" Gou instinctively leaned towards the other, but Satoshi was quick to press his phone to his chest, swallowing thickly.

"NOTHING! PROFESSOR, WHAT DID YOU NEED OUR PHONES FOR?" His voice was far louder than necessary, but Sakuragi recognized the look on his new pupil's face and it pulled a bark of laughter from him. If it weren't for the fact that Satoshi was still adjusting to the professor, he would have lightly teased him for whatever message he received, but he decided to give the boy mercy, moving onto the original subject.

Reaching into his pockets, he retrieved the Pokéballs from them and held them out. The capture items shook in his hands as two Rotom flew from their balls, cheering excitedly at being released from them. He chuckled at the excited yells of the Pokémons' name that burst from the teens and tucked the balls away into his pockets once more, grinning broadly.

"Raise your smartphones, both of you," He ordered, and was pleased when they both listened to him, raising their phones into the air. The rotom cheered from their spots in the air and dove for the phones, immediately making themselves at home in the devices.

“It went in..!” Gou murmured, surprise thick in his voice. As he stared at the device, he jumped slightly when the features of the Pokémon that had entered it appeared on his phone, morphing the shape of it slightly. A thrilled sound rose from his throat at the sight, eyes shining with excitement, and Satoshi grinned widely at his side.

“It’s called a Smartphone Rotom. It’s got Pokémon Index functions as well.” Sakuragi explained, moving his hands slightly in tune with his words. He expected the surprise from Gou and had expected it from Satoshi as well, but the older teen just looked thrilled, turning the Pikachu themed device over and over in his hands and making the Rotom inhabiting it snicker.

“It’s like the Rotom Dex I had when I was in Alola! Do they talk to you, too? Can Rotom use my phone to have a conversation with me?” Deep brown hues met surprised greens, though the professor’s surprise didn’t seem to register in his mind as Satoshi turned his gaze back to the Rotom, eyes twinkling. “Can you talk to me, little guy..?” He cooed in a similar manner you would a newborn child and the Rotom wiggled excitedly in the teen’s hands, moving out of his hold to instead move towards his ear, the back with the Pokémon’s mouth facing his ear.

Gou and Sakuragi could only watch in awe as Satoshi let out a thrilled sound, hand raising to _pet the phone_ , finger gently scritching at the side of the phone. Gou turned his gaze to the Rotom in his own hands, the Pokémon staring up at him curiously, and he cautiously raised it towards his face, smiling nervously.

“Can..Can _you_ talk..?” The question was so quiet Gou almost worried that the Pokémon wouldn’t be able to hear him, but then a thrilled ringing came from the phone and Rotom flew from his hands, dancing around his head.

“Of course I can!” It cheered, voice staticy as if it was on the other side of a receiver. The brunette stared in shock for a moment before he grinned widely, hands raising to cup the Pokémon living in his phone.

“Thank you, Sir!” Satoshi spoke from Gou’s side, snapping him out of the moment with the Smartphone Rotom and pulling his gaze towards him. He couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of the Rotom rubbing against his cheek, Pikachu rubbing against the opposite cheek with a bit more aggression, as if jealous of the Rotom taking his trainer’s attention.

Sakuragi stared at the teens for a long moment before a bark of laughter erupted from his chest, shoulders shaking as he clapped a hand over his mouth. Never in his years has he seen someone attempt to befriend the Smartphone Rotom and yet here he was, witnessing two Rotom, who had been antisocial in his care, cozying up to their owners with ease.

“Of course. Take good care of them, boys.”

“Yes Sir!” They said in unison before looking at one another and grinning.

“Ready to go on another adventure?” Satoshi hummed, nudging Gou with his elbow, and the shorter laughed, nodding quickly. “Alright then..”

The two shared a smile before throwing their arms in the air, excited cheers leaving them.

“Let’s go!”

**§§**

“That’s weird..,” Gou murmured, staring at his Rotom Phone in frustration, “It should be around here..”

Satoshi and Gou had covered the portion of Kuchiba City that was near the lab, but had found themselves with no sign of the Fushigisou, the Pokémon seeming elusive despite the trouble they were causing. Satoshi had opened his mouth to speak when a familiar whistle and voice echoed through the air and the two looked at each other before bolting towards it, Officer Junsa quickly coming into sight.

“Miss Junsa!” Satoshi called out, earning the officer’s attention.

“Did something happen?” Gou quickly followed, concern lacing his voice, and Junsa smiled apologetically.

“As you can see..,” She hummed, stepping to the side and allowing them to see the familiar form of Fushigisou walking behind her. A thrilled ‘ _Oh!_ ’ burst from Gou and he quickly left the map of his phone, pulling up the camera so that he could get the information on the Pokémon. Rotom came to life, chirping up as it read out the details.

"Fushigisou! The Seed Pokémon! Grass/Poison Type! Exposure to sunlight adds to its strength! Sunlight also makes the bud on its back grow larger!” Rotom’s voice sounded different when it was reading out dex entries and Satoshi could feel his curiosity about that knaw at him, but Gou spoke up before he could question it.

“I wonder where the Fushigisou are going?” He murmured, brows furrowed as he stared at the device in his hand.

“Oh, that’s right,” Junsa spoke up, gaining the boys’ attention, “This might not have anything to do with the Fushigisou, but look at this.” Reaching under her arm, she pulled out a tablet to show to them.

Pikachu growled next to his head at the images shown to them, a scowl spreading across Satoshi’s face as he glared at three very familiar faces. After being tormented and harassed by Team Rocket for over nine years, it’s understandable that the raven haired teen had developed a hatred for them that he’s only been able to push down a few times for the sake of the greater good. Any other time, though? He never wanted to punch someone more. He won’t, but Pikachu will shock them enough for the both of them.

Satoshi hadn’t even realized how lost in his emotions he was until he felt a cautious hand touch his arm. Instincts made him jerk away, wide brow eyes snapping towards the culprit and meeting worried blue hues.

“Satoshi? Are you okay?” Gou questioned, hand hovering near him despite how the other had jerked away. Swallowing thickly, Satoshi looked away from Gou to look at the image once more, Pikachu’s gentle coo next to his head grounding him.

“I’m alright,” He started, hesitating for a moment before looking to Junsa, “Is Team Rocket starting trouble again?” Her subtle nod sent a new wave of frustration over him, but the feeling of Pikachu licking his cheek calmed him slightly. The feeling would always be odd, the Pokémon’s tongue rough yet gentle, it was so weird. Gou shuffling next to him pulled his attention towards him, watching him curiously as he stared at the images.

“I’ve read about them online. Apparently they’re bad guys who steal people’s Pokémon..,” Gou trailed off for a moment before looking to Satoshi with a disbelieving smile, brows furrowed slightly, “But the bit about the talking Nyarth has to be a lie, yeah?”

Satoshi couldn’t help the mildly snornful huff that left him, smile strained as he looked to Gou from the corner of his eyes, “Most people _would_ think that..” 

“We’re on guard because there were reports they’d been sighted around here,” Junsa spoke up, explaining further on just the simple nod she’d given in response to Satoshi’s question, “You take care, okay?”

“Of course, thanks for telling us, Miss Junsa.” Satoshi’s smile was still slightly strained, but it seemed to be enough for her to relax slightly. 

Next to his head, long yellow ears twitch as Pikachu turns his body slightly, staring in the direction of an alley before hopping from his trainer’s shoulder. The Pokémon didn’t react to the startled and questioning sound Satoshi had made, running off towards whatever caught its attention, and Satoshi found himself taking off right after it.

“Pikachu! What are you doing?” He called after it, skidding to a stop at the entrance to the alley his partner had disappeared into. He could hear Gou come up behind him, but found himself staying quiet as he carefully stepped into the narrow pathway, eyes glued to the Fushigisou at the end of it.

“Seems like it wants to keep moving, but can’t.” Gou spoke up, having followed him into the area. Satoshi made a confirming noise, watching the wild Pokémon with a small frown on his face.

He hated this. He hated seeing a Pokémon harm itself. It made his stomach twist and his heart ache for it. He didn’t even realize he was stepping towards it.

“Let’s help it.” He didn’t make it far before he felt Gou’s hand grab his forearm, causing him to bristle under the tight grip and snap his gaze towards him.

“Don’t.” He spoke sternly, frowning up at the taller teen. At the questioning and mildly miffed look from Satoshi, he let go of his arm and sighed softly. “We’re here to investigate the Fushigisou outbreak, yeah? If we help them, we won’t be able to solve the mystery.”

Satoshi felt himself bristle even more despite the lack of touch.

“It’s in trouble, we should _help_ . It’s hurting itself, I can’t just sit by and _watch_.” He argued, scowling down at the younger. Gou’s own scowl deepened and he took a step towards Satoshi.

“It’s a mistake to try and help anyone and everyone!” Gou snapped back, hands clenching slightly at his sides. “If a Pokémon can’t get through trouble on its own, then that’s the end of the line!”

Satoshi _glared_ at that statement, hands clenching into fists as he steps right back into Gou’s space, making the younger take a step back.

“What do you mean ‘ _end of the line_ ’?” He hissed, and only felt slightly bad when Gou flinched at his tone of voice. Still, he stood his ground, more metaphorically than physically at this point.

“If we helped it, we’d rob it of its strength to live, yeah?!”

“That doesn’t make any sense! If I want to help someone, I will!” 

Gou didn’t get a chance to say more, Satoshi turning and jerking his arm out of reach when he felt his fingers brush it. As soon as he was out of arm's reach, his steps slowed and softened, gaze softening as he slowly approached the Pokémon hitting its head, speaking out.

“Hey, are you okay?” He saw the Fushigisou jolt at his voice, the toad Pokémon turning towards him quickly. He kept his expression gentle, crouching down near it slightly with a hum. “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you. Can I help you up?”

The Fushigisou stared at him silently for a moment before two vines came from its bud and slammed into his chest. He felt himself go back slightly, a subtle hiss of pain leaving him, but it wasn’t enough to take him down. He’s been through far worse in his days, but he wasn’t going to get close if it didn’t want it.

“Told you so,” Gou spoke up, voice low, but Satoshi heard it anyways and shot him a glare.

“Oh shut up.” He huffed, turning towards the Fushigisou as it looked around, no longer hitting its head on the wall.

“Oh, I see how it is,” Gou started and Satoshi could already feel himself bristle, “Sheesh..back with Lugia I accepted you as my friend, but it seems I misjudged you.”

“I don’t need you to be my friend.” He snapped back, surprised by his own lack of hesitation with these words. It seemed to have startled Gou as well, however, a broken sound raising from the back of his throat. A part of Satoshi felt bad for his words, but Gou’s had hurt him, too. If that was what he thought about him, he wasn’t going to coddle him with his own words. There was a subtle mumble from Gou as he stood from his crouched position, but he stayed silent, staring at the grass/poison Pokémon.

“Forget it,” Gou spoke up, Rotom Phone in hand as he stepped past him, “I’ll investigate on my own.”

“Oh will you now?” Satoshi scoffed to himself, eyes rolling as he pulled out his own Rotom Phone. The Pokémon in the device seemed visibly concerned, but he brushed it off in favor of ignoring Gou’s gaze. “Suit yourself.”

“Yeah, I will.” He snapped back. The two stared one another down for a moment before both huffed through their noses, looking away from each other.

Pikachu let out a concerned cry at his trainer and Gou, beady black eyes gleaming with worry. He didn’t have long to react, however, the Pokémon’s attention dragged away by a sound behind him.

Staring up the wall, the Fushigisou was silent for a long moment before two long vines once again extended from its back. They moved deftly to a pole on the other side of the wall, wrapping around it multiple times before the Pokémon used it to pull itself up onto the wall, its plump body sitting there contently for a moment. 

Satoshi and Gou both let out impressed sounds, it not registering in their minds as a cheer of “ _Alright, me too!_ ” was called out in unison. Running to the wall, each jumped onto it, and it was only then they noticed the other mirroring their action. Both glared at the other, the only thing breaking their gaze being Pikachu’s body as he used his trainer to get onto the wall.

“Don’t copy me!” Gou snapped, brows furrowed in irritation, and Satoshi scoffed to himself.

“Right back at you.”

After years of climbing cliffs, buildings, walls, and the like, it was easy for Satoshi to scale the very short wall and sit on the top with the two Pokémon, making himself comfortable there. On Gou’s side, however, the younger didn’t have years of climbing experience to make the climb easy for him. Satoshi could hear him struggle behind him and while a part of him pleaded with him to help, he ignored it in favor of staring at the large tower the Fushigisou was staring at. Looking at the Rotom floating by his head, he raised a hand to gently grab it and point it towards the building.

“Rotom, what is that?”

There was a brief ping and then the Pokémon was speaking.

“A Pokémon Gym under construction.” Just like Gou’s, his Rotom’s voice sounded different when it was reading from what it looked up, but Satoshi didn’t have time to question it right now.

They didn’t have time to do much, really, not when Fushigisou was using another Vine Whip to swing itself to a ledge and walk across it, its entire being thrumming with confidence. A soft ‘ _Ah_ ’ left the teens and Satoshi was quick to push himself from the top of the wall, landing easily on his feet with Pikachu hot on his heel. He could hear Gou’s struggle and that urge to help hit him once more, but he pushed it down again, staring after the Fushigisou.

It was only when a sudden scent hit him that he found himself relaxing even slightly after the argument.

“There’s a Sweet Scent in the air..” He murmured, shoulders relaxing as he let the move wash over him and calm his nerves. From beside him, he heard Gou let out a surprised sound as he watched after the Fushigisou.

“I see..,” He started, pure awe in his voice, “Fushigisou might be going there to evolve..!”

It was only then that what was going on clicked. Satoshi immediately perked from his relaxed position, a grin spreading across his face.

“There’s probably a lot of sunlight where it’s located, it’d be perfect for them!” He turned to Gou and the two shared a grin for all of one second before they remembered their fight and both were glaring once more. He heard Pikachu’s sigh from behind him, but he simply crouched to allow him onto his shoulder, quickly taking off after the Fushigisou.

******§§**

Neither teen knew for just how long they had been walking after the Fushigisou, but neither seemed to care, either. The warm sun beat down on their backs and they were visibly sweating, but neither caved under the heat in favor of finding out if their -- _the_ theory was true.

Satoshi’s attention was drawn in by the sound of familiar little grunts and he couldn’t help his breathless laugh at the sight of more Fushigisou walking up the hill, a few Fushigidane mixed in with the bunch.

“They’re coming from everywhere, aren’t they? The Fushigidane are coming along for the ride, too.” He hummed, an amused little huff leaving him when one of the smaller Pokémon stumbled, only for its evolution to quickly help it regain his balance. It was a heartwarming sight and he felt himself smile gently, careful where he stepped now that they were surrounded. One of the Fushigidane looked up at him with a curious look before the small grass type bumped its forehead against his leg slightly, making him laugh.

“Rotom, do you have any info on that place?” Gou spoke up, raising his Rotom Phone towards the tower. The ding of the Pokémon finding information was slowly beginning to grow familiar despite how little they’ve needed Rotom’s help so far.

“This is a photo from when construction was starting!”

“Ohh, Wanriky..” Gou murmured, earning Satoshi’s attention. The older found himself growing curious and took a step closer to him, taking advantage of his height on Gou to look at the images Rotom was showing. His shadow gave him away, however, and he tensed when he was looked at, only relaxing when the phone was tilted towards him slightly.

“Before construction began, it was a sunny grassland! Wild Fushigidane and Fushigisou would gather here to bask in the sun!” 

Satoshi felt his stomach churn at those last words, unease pooling in his gut. From the images, the grassy field was gone and concern for the Pokémon they were following hit him like a train. 

It wasn’t until they reached the area that the severity of the situation truly hit them.

The Fushigisou and Fushigidane slowly approached the construction site, staring at the area before the whole group of them slumped. Their area was gone, their evolution grounds taken from them.

“They're all disappointed..” Satoshi murmured, shoulders slumped as he felt disappointment as well for the Pokémon. They’d traveled all this way to evolve and now they couldn’t, their source of sunlight gone. Next to him, he heard Gou make a confused noise.

“You can tell..?” He questioned, looking between the Pokémon and Satoshi.

“Of course I can tell, the looks on their faces says it all!” His tone was incredulous, confusion and shock written all over his face. Gou’s gaze moved from him to the Pokémon and a hand raised to his chin, brows furrowed in mild frustration.

“I can’t tell at all..”

Gou was the first to react to their casual conversation, bristling and quickly turning away from Satoshi. The older teen bristled at the movement, quickly turning away as well, and Pikachu let out a concerned sound near his head.

They were snapped out of their bitterness by the sound of one of the Fushigisou making a determined noise, it’s heavy footsteps pulling their gazes towards it. Recognition hit Satoshi when he saw the subtle injury still on the leading Fushigisou’s head as the Pokémon shot out a Vine Whip, the others quickly following suit at the demonstration. Fushigidane and Fushigisou quickly began scaling the building with the assistance of their vines, one after another, some having an easier time than others.

“Are they climbing up since the sun shines brighter up top..?” Gou questioned, lowering his phone slightly to instead stare at the Pokémon he’d been recording. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Satoshi casually approaching the building, rubbing his hands together with a grin.

“Let’s go, Pikachu!”

“ _Pi-kaa!_ ”

Gou watched in silent shock for a moment as he saw the trainer and Pokémon easily begin climbing the first layer of construction, gaze flicking to his own hands. “You mean we’ll know if we go up there..?”

Even without the answer, the sight of Satoshi climbing was enough of an answer to him. Going to the pole next to the other’s, he carefully grabbed it and began trying to pull himself up. The metal was hot and slippery beneath his hands, but he pushed himself anyways, the struggle of the climb making his arms shake and burn.

Just above him, Satoshi’s eyes were glued to a lagging behind Fushigidane, eyes wide and shining with awe.

“Awesome..” He murmured to himself, a grin spread wide across his face. Standing from his crouched position, he was prepared to climb higher when Pikachu made a curious noise beside him, causing him to instinctively look to where his Pokémon was looking.

He was shocked to see Gou trying to climb the tower as well, seemingly having picked up on Satoshi’s train of thought. He could see how his arms trembled and how he struggled to pull himself inch after inch. That urge to help was back again, stronger than it’s been so far, and he felt his will break.

Standing above the pole he was climbing, he crouched once more and held a hand down to the other. It took a moment for Gou to notice, but when he did, he looked genuinely shocked by the offered help. Satoshi felt himself shrink slightly under the gaze, looking to the side with a subtle flush to his cheeks.

“Grab on..,” He grumbled, looking at Gou from the corner of his eyes. There was a moment of silence, the only sounds being the wind, the Pokémon climbing above them, and Gou’s subtle panting from climbing.

Then, Gou’s warm hand gripped Satoshi’s and the taller teen carefully pulled him up, trying to be careful of the sharp edges of metal. He was surprised by how light Gou was, though the other did look like a twig so it wasn’t _too_ shocking.

Letting out a huff once Gou was on the first layer, Satoshi breathed out slowly and looked up at the next layer, sighing through his nose.

“Up we go.”

Satoshi turned to see Gou on one knee, hands cupped on the supporting knee. At the confused look he was given, the younger cleared his throat slightly as a slight flush danced across his face.

“Get on.” He murmured, looking to the side slightly. He couldn’t help the genuinely surprised huff of laughter, hesitantly taking a small step towards the crouching teen,

“Are you sure..?” He questioned, brows furrowing ever so slightly. Gou’s gaze moved back to him and blue eyes bored deep into his own brown ones as he nodded resolutely. Staring one another down for a moment, Satoshi let out a deep chuckle and nodded, stepping forward.

The rest of the climb up the tower was surprisingly easy with the two of them assisting one another. It was a silent climb, both unsure of what to say, but they managed to work in near perfect unity as they followed the Pokémon.

Both were panting and even more sweaty by the time they made it all the way up, but they found themselves grinning when they looked at one another.

“We made it!” Gou breathed out, face shining with a layer of sweat, and Satoshi huffed out a laugh, raising a hand for a fist bump.

There was no hesitation when Gou bumped his fist against his and Pikachu trilled happily by their feet.

Satoshi ignored the brief wave of relief that hit him, looking towards the basking Pokémon instead.

“The Fushigidane’s bulbs are taking in sunlight and growing bigger..!” Gou spoke up, hand instinctively going for his phone as the two stepped right up to the starter Pokémon. The Fushigidane and Fushigisou cried out in response to the voices, but seemed relaxed as the oh so familiar Sweet Scent raised from their bulbs and washed over Satoshi and Gou.

“It smells so nice..” Satoshi spoke up, shoulders relaxing as he basked in the scent. Gou chuckled at his side, more relaxed due to the scent yet more able to ignore it than be turned to mush like his friend -- were they friends again? Gou didn’t know and that made him nervous.

“Does this mean they really _did_ come here seeking stronger sunlight..?” He mumbled to himself, hand instinctively raising to grab his chin gently.The Sweet Scent seemed to die down and Satoshi came back to himself, staring at the Pokémon before a grin broke out across his face.

“I have an idea!” He sounded absolutely _thrilled_ and Gou couldn’t help but be nervous as he watched him move to an empty space between Fushigisou. Lowering himself to the ground, he laid flat next to him, his entire form laid out on the metal. “Pikachu, be the bulb!” He called to his partner, voice thick with amusement. The Pikachu trilled excitedly, immediately jumping onto his trainer’s back and making himself at home, face tilting up towards the sun to bask in the heat.

“What are you doing?” Gou asked in soft confusion, brows furrowing slightly.

“Becoming Fushigisou obviously.” Satoshi made it sound like it was the most obvious thing in the world and Gou could only stare for a moment.

“Will this actually help in any way?” He questioned, taking slow, cautious steps towards the Fushigisou. Satoshi laughed from his spot on the ground and grinned widely, shrugging his shoulders.

“I don’t know,” He started, earning a startled sound from Gou, “But it sure feels nice. I bet this is how the Fushigidane and Fushigisou feel.”

Cracking an eye open, he stared at Gou, the other staring right back in a silent stare-down. It didn’t take long for him to start to visibly crack, a slow flush rising to his face at the idea of doing something so stupid, and yet he found himself moving to the ground. The metal was warm just like the poles, but he found himself surprisingly comfortable as he laid out on the ground. 

“Oh man..it really _does_ feel nice..” The sun was warm on his back and he could feel the warmth of the Fushigisou at his side, the surrounding feelings so relaxing. Satoshi snickered from his spot, but didn’t speak, simply enjoying the moment.

The two basked there for who knows how long, the sun warming them and the Pokémon, when a cool breeze went through the air. They were surrounded by the sound of the Fushigisou and Fushigidane’s leaves rustling in the wind and causing the bulbs to let out another burst of Sweet Scent. A pleased hum rose from both teens’ chest and Satoshi tilted his head back slightly, a small smile spreading across his face.

“The wind is so damn nice..” He sighed out, snorting at the affronted sound Gou made at the curse.

Clearing his throat, Gou allowed himself to brush off the cursing in favor of relaxing as the wind brushed through his hair, cooling him despite the sun beating down on them. “This spot is famous in Kuchiba for its strong winds.”

An impressed hum was Satoshi’s response and the two fell into a comfortable silence with the Pokémon, simply existing in the presence of the Fushigisou and Fushigidane.

Then, a familiar glow shone between them and they opened their eyes.

The Fushigisou all around them began to glow a bright blue-white, the lights completely covering their beings. No matter how many times Satoshi witnessed evolution, it would always be breathtaking to him, and he felt his heartbeat pick up in his chest as he stood, eyes shining..

Gou, however, had never witnessed evolution first-hand. He’d seen it in videos and images plenty of times in his life, but he never got the chance to witness it in person. It felt like the air was pushed out of his lungs, eyes wide as he stood quickly and stared down at the glowing Pokémon laying between the teens.

“Is..Is this evolution..?” He questioned, voice quiet as if he was scared that speaking too loud would make it end. He saw Satoshi nod and felt a burst of excitement course through him, hand carefully reaching for his Rotom Phone-

Only for a net to be thrown from the air, completely covering the Pokémon who had been _so close_ to evolving like they’d wanted.

“What’s that?!” Gou yelped, taking a small step back. 

Then three _oh so familiar_ _voices_ began speaking.

“If you ask us about _‘this’_ or _‘that’_..”

“We’ll answer out of sympathy for the world!”

“To protect the world from devastation,”

“To preserve world peace.”

“Championing the evils of truth and love.”

“We’re the lovely, charming villains!”

“Musashi!”

“Kojiro!”

“The Team Rocket duo soars through the galaxy!”

“Like a white hole, a white tomorrow awaits us!”

“Just kidding, meow.~”

Next to him, Satoshi was _fuming_ , the motto he’d heard so many times falling on deaf ears. He felt his hands curl into fists and he could only glare, eyes narrowed into slits as his brain moved fast, coming up with ways to assist the captured Pokémon. The words the evil team said were muffled in the back of his mind, his focus on the captured Pokémon.

Team Rocket must have noticed that he was ignoring their motto because Nyarth leaned over the edge of the blimp, a clawed paw waving furiously in his direction.

“Hey!! Listen to us when we say our motto, we practiced hard to get it down!” He snapped, glaring right back at the teen they harassed so often.

Gou let out a yell that was a mixture of terrified and downright ecstatic, Rotom Phone in hand as he began taking pictures of Nyarth. “The Nyarth really _is_ talking!”

“Now isn’t the time!” Satoshi barked, snapping Gou out of his excitement and earning a startled look from the other teen. “Give the Fushigisou back, Team Rocket!” He yelled, the familiar feeling of Pikachu’s fur fluffing up pressing against the side of his face. Musashi huffed out a laugh, her hands perching on her hips as she grinned down at the teenager.

“With so many of them gathering in one place, it’s like they’re saying ‘Please steal us’,” She trailed off and Kojiro stepped forward, taking over, “And so, of course we will do just that! Farewell, Brat Boy!” And with that goodbye, the blimp began raising.

“..’brat boy’?” Gou questioned, looking to Satoshi with furrowed brows. The question went unanswered for now, the teen next to him taking a step towards the blimp.

Satoshi’s heart immediately began beating faster, the familiar feeling he got when he was about to battle washing over him, only this time it was mixed with anger, as it usually was with Team Rocket. Arm shooting out, he felt his partner run along his arm as an instinctive order slipped past his lips.

“Pikachu! Iron Tail!”

Despite using said move, electricity sparked from Pikachu’s cheek as his tail hardened and gleamed silver in color, the jagged limb slamming into the netting containing the Fushigisou and Fushigidane. The sound of the rope snapping was audible and a large grin spread across Satoshi’s face as he quickly jogged up to the freed Pokémon, crouching to place a gentle hand on the nearest Fushigisou’s head.

“Are you alright?” He questioned, offering the creature a small smile. The Fushigisou nodded its large head and lifted onto its hind legs to nudge its snout against his face, pulling a startled laugh from him.

“How dare you take my Fushigisou!” Musashi bristled from the blimp, squeezing the edges of it tight in her hands. Gaze snapping towards Nyarth, she leaned down to be eye level with him, “We’re going down, Nyarth!” 

“Roger that!” The cat Pokémon grinned and hopped down from the ledge with a soft thump, going to steer the blimp to the roof. There was a deep thud as it made contact with the metal, it quickly followed by the evil team jumping out of it, staring down the teens.

“You have some nerve, you know that?!” Musashi snapped, stomping a foot in frustration. Satoshi scoffed, standing upright and glaring back at the older woman, arms crossing over his chest.

“I should be saying that to _you_!”

The argument would have continued if it weren’t for the muffled cry of a Pelipper flying overhead. All looking up, they watched as a medium sized machine dropped from the Pokémon’s beak, slowly falling right above Team Rocket and causing them to quickly move out of the way, barely dodging get squashed.

“This is the secret weapon?” Nyarth questioned, trying to keep his voice quiet so the teens before them wouldn’t hear his words.

“Looks like a vending machine to me.” Musashi spoke up, voice not quite as quiet as Nyarth’s and earning an uneasy look from Satoshi, Pikachu preparing himself on the ground in front of him.

“Well! Then we’ll have to put in a coin!” Kojiro looked at his partners in crime, a brow quirking slightly.

“But do we have one?” Nyarth looked at the two humans, whiskers twitching nervously at the sudden silence that fell over them. He instinctively took a small step back when they turned on him, eyes sparkling with an idea and he felt his stomach churn.

“We sure do!”

Satoshi and Gou could only watch with a feeling of horror as Musashi and Kojiro lifted Nyarth into their hands, shoving the coin on his forehead into the slot on the front of the machine. As the blue haired man turned the dial, Nyarth’s body went stiff as the machine shook aggressively and ejected two deep purple Pokéballs with a red R imprinted on the capture item. Grabbing them, the two head members of the team stood with wicked grins while Nyarth lifted his head, the look on his face causing a feeling of disgust to pool deep in Satoshi’s gut, the teen reeling back slightly with a scowl.

“So these balls contain awesome Pokémon that Sakaki-sama picked out, huh?” Musashi seemed thrilled, squeezing the odd Pokéball before looking at her partner, the two nodding and throwing the balls into the air. As the papers fell with the Pokémon, the building _shook_ with the weight of the two.

“The Atrocious Pokémon, Gyarados!” Musashi called out, the water/flying Pokémon letting out a bone rattling roar.

“The Armor Pokémon, Banguirus!” Kojiro followed, the rock/dark type roaring in next to its battling partner.

“Way to go, Sakaki-sama,” The redhead murmured, looking between the piece of paper in her hand and the Gyarados rising tall beside her. Her partner spoke up beside her where she left off, his voice filled with just as much awe, “These are some energetic and strong Pokémon!”

Nyarth, seeming to have gained control of himself again, jumped excitedly between his not-quite trainers. “Commence attack!”

Satoshi barely had time to react as Team Rocket yelled their orders, immediately taking on a defensive stance as he threw an arm out, yelling out to his partner.

“Pikachu, dodge it!” He hollered, the electric mouse reacting immediately to his trainer’s words and throwing himself into the air with a slam of his tail into the ground. The Gyarados and Banguirus slammed into one another, both large Pokémon growling at one another before their temporary trainers were calling out more orders.

“Something powerful!” Musashi didn’t bother looking at the paper in her hand listing the Pokémon’s moves, leaving the decision to it, and Satoshi felt annoyance simmer under his skin. A Hydro Pump shot from Gyarados’s mouth just as Kojiro followed his partner’s order with one of his own.

“Evil Pulse!” At least he seemed to be paying attention to the paper, though he was the smarter one in their duo. Satoshi had to keep himself from snorting at the thought as Banguirus shot the fierce attack in the direction of Pikachu.

“Electroweb!” He ordered his partner, arm swinging out instinctively. Pikachu jumped into the air, an electric current washing over his small form and gathering at the end of his tail in a large ball, shooting off in the direction of the moves flying towards him.

The electricity connected with the water and dark energy, the moves pushing against one another for a moment before the larger Pokémon seemed to gain the upperhand, shooting past the Electroweb. 

“Lightning Speed!” Satoshi urgently called out, hands clenching at his sides as he watched. A feint glow washed over Pikachu and he darted between the moves directed at him with ease, small yet sturdy body slamming directly into the center of Gyarados’s forehead. Relief washed over Satoshi as the electric mouse used the remaining speed to move from the water dragon and slam into Banguirus as well, both Pokémon going back slightly at the sudden hit.

“Good job!” Satoshi called out, just as Gou’s voice spoke up behind him with a quiet “ _Awesome.._ ”

“Another!” Musashi ordered, causing Gyarados to gather its composure and envelop its tail in water, catching Pikachu off guard as it slammed the attack into him.

Kojiro didn’t give them time to react as Pikachu collided with the ground, yelling out “Stone Edge!” to the Pokémon at his side. Banguirus roared next to him and slammed its tiny hands into the ground, shining blue stones shooting up from the cracks forming and slamming into the unprepared Pikachu.

A pained cry left him, flying through the air and slamming into the ground, curling in on himself ever so slightly.

“This doesn’t look good..” Gou murmured from Satoshi’s side, taking a step forward slightly.

“I know that!” Satoshi’s voice was stern despite the way his hands shook and he bolted for his Pokémon, dropping to the ground beside it. “Pikachu! Are you alright?” He gently lifted the electric mouse into his arms, stomach twisting when a pained cry rose from the injured Pokémon.

“Let’s finish them with a team attack!” Musashi grinned at Kojiro’s side, looking at him slightly, and he chuckled deep in his chest.

“Yeah!”

Satoshi’s gaze snapped up, a harsh glare in place as he held Pikachu’s injured form close to his chest. He was prepared to put himself between the attack and his partner when familiar Pokémon ran to stand in front of him, the sound of a move going off echoing through the air a multitude of Solar Beams slammed into Gyarados and Banguirus.

“Fushigisou..,” He breathed out, eyes widening in shock before a grin slowly spread across his face, “Thank you, everyone!” Despite being injured, Pikachu moved himself from Satoshi’s arms to gently rub his forehead against the nearest Fushigisou, the two Pokémon cooing to one another with the soft action.

“Hey, Gyarados, are you okay?” Musashi spoke softly to the Pokémon, hands gently rubbing its face where it’d been struck by the Solar Beam.

“Can you go on, Banguirus?” Kojiro questioned the large creature, mirroring his partner’s action. The two Pokémon cried out softly, leaning into the gentle touches, and Musashi scoffed to herself, glaring at the Fushigisou.

“Well then, let’s fish out some pain on the Fushigisou first,” She started, hands curled into fists in front of her. Kojiro picked up where she stopped, a hand staying on his temporary partner, “And _then_ we’ll catch them!”

“Destroyer Beam!” Both snapped, stepping to the side to allow the moves to get by with ease.

Fearful noises rose from the Fushigisou and Satoshi growled to himself, pushing himself from the ground. There was no hesitation in his steps as he quickly moved in front of the Pokémon, arms thrown to the sides so he could take up as much space as possible.

“I won’t let you!” He snapped, glaring back at Team Rocket. The familiar cry of his partner met his ears as the injured Pikachu moved to stand next to him, sparks flying from his cheeks. Despite being hurt, the electric mouse was determined to help the Pokémon that had helped them, and Satoshi felt pride for his partner bloom in his chest.

Gou’s stomach churned with a mix of emotions, awe at the bravery his friend was showing and fear for his person. This was so stupidly dangerous and yet incredibly brave and he found himself unable to speak or move, eyes glued to the trainer and Pokémon.

And then Satoshi _grinned_ , the look fierce as he nodded to his partner, the electric mouse nodding back, and Gou felt his heart leap to his throat, awe taking over the fear.

As the Destroyer Beams shot off, Satoshi stepped closer to the Fushigisou and shot an arm out, Pikachu climbing his trainer’s body quickly to take stance on the extended arm.

“Pikachu,” Satoshi started, his grin only growing, “100,000 Volts!” 

The electric mouse threw himself from his trainer’s arm as soon as the order was yelled and his entire body enveloped in blinding electricity, a fierce cry ripping from Pikachu’s throat as the attack shot off and collided with the beams of energy. The electricity and energy pushed against one another, the energy nearly getting the upper hand when Satoshi’s voice rang through the air.

“ _Go!_ ” He yelled and Pikachu cried out in unison with his trainer, more electricity shooting from his body as he pushed everything he had into the attack.

The electricity shot through the Destroyer Beams with ease, going straight for the two large Pokémon and Team Rocket, slamming into them full force. A ploom of smoke rose from their bodies as they were thrown into the air and out of hearing range, the last audible thing from the trio being their signature “ _What an awful feeling!_ ”

Gou stared at the group as they flew away, his Rotom Phone in his hand as he recorded it. Satoshi stood next to him, staring after the familiar sight of Team Rocket flying off from his partner’s attack, the adrenaline of the battle finally wearing down. He felt _exhausted_ , mind fuzzy and limbs aching, but he stood there anyways, keeping himself from laying on the roof and _sleeping_.

Pikachu letting out a surprised cry put him on alert despite his aches and he spun towards him with the teen by his side, only to see the familiar glow of evolution washing over the Fushigisou once more.

“They started evolving!” Gou gasped, excitement running through his veins as he quickly points his Rotom Phone at the evolving Pokémon, getting the sight on film.

Satoshi would never get over witnessing evolution. No matter how many times he’s seen it, witnessing as their body’s morphed and changed, grew larger and became a different creature.

The leaves spread out on Fushigisou’s back curled in on themselves, enveloping the bud for _just_ a moment before they spread out once more, larger and greener. The bud that had been closed slowly raised on a short stem before it spread out into a beautiful flower, pollen bursting from the plant perched on the Pokémon’s back. Medium sized bodies grew large and then, a group of Fushigibana stared back at them, thrilled cries rising from the group of Pokémon.

“Fushigibana! You got to evolve!” Satoshi laughed airily despite himself, Pikachu’s weight on his shoulder a welcomed one as his partner cried out excitedly. Next to him, he heard Rotom ding as Gou directed his phone at the Pokémon, the electric type taking a moment as the Dex Entry for Fushigibana came up before speaking.

“Fushigibana! The Seed Pokémon! Grass/Poison type! Its flower is said to take on vivid colors if it gets plenty of nutrition and sunlight. The flower’s aroma soothes the emotions of people.”

Gou made an impressed sound in the back of his throat, looking up from his phone just in time for a strong breeze to blow over the roof. The Fushigibana’s petals rustled in the breeze and a large amount of pollen began rising from the flowers, washing over those on the roof and spreading out over the town. Moving the Rotom Phone to follow the pollen, the sight was stunning as they watched it spread out over Kuchiba City and the forest. In the distance, the sight of subtle pink in the trees pulled a breathless laugh from Gou, the teen staring in disbelief.

The two teens were snapped out of their staring by the sound of Fushigidane chirping excitedly behind them before that glow returned, the small Pokémon also evolving. Their transformations were quicker than Fushigibana’s and yet still outstanding, Gou making sure to keep his camera on the ones he could see.

“The Fushigibana came here to spread their pollen!” The brunette took a small step towards the Pokémon and let out a startled huff of laughter when a Fushigisou bumped its head into his leg. Crouching, he hesitated for a moment before gently petting its head and smiling warmly when it let out a pleased coo.

“Yeah..I guess this is that ‘strength to live’ you were talking about?” Satoshi spoke, catching the crouched teen off guard. Blue hues snapped towards the older teen, but he wasn’t looking at him, warm brown hues glued to the Fushigibana that were grooming the Fushigisou. His gaze was so gentle, one Gou hadn't seen on his face yet, and he felt something in his chest tighten, light yet intense. A chuckle rumbled from Satoshi’s chest and he stepped towards the Fushigibana, raising a hand to gently pet the large Pokémon’s head. “Pokémon are really awesome, huh?”

“Yeah, they sure are,” Gou breathed out, gaze glued to Satoshi for a moment before he let out a breathless laugh. “As are the two of you, though.”

Satoshi paused in his attention to the Fushigibana, the Pokémon letting out a whine as he turned his gaze to Gou. The sudden attention pulled a nervous laugh from the younger teen, quickly brushing off his statement, though he couldn’t help but think he saw a knowing gleam in Satoshi’s eyes as he smiled and turned back to the Pokémon.

******§§**

An impressed hum rose from Sakuragi’s chest as he viewed the final image Gou showed him. So much had been recorded in one day and the professor found himself glad he had asked two teens to work with him.

“The mysterious strength hidden in Fushigibana’s pollen..another grand discovery!” He turns to Gou and Satoshi, a grin spreading across his face. A proud huff left the short teen, chest puffing slightly as he grinned and pointed a thumb to himself.

“Well, when up against the ultimate duo of Satoshi and I, it was an easy job!” He looked to his side and met Satoshi’s gaze, both grinning widely at one another. The raven haired teen snickered to himself a bit, raising a fist to him and beaming when Gou bumped their fists together.

“Today was pretty fun,” He hummed, dropping his hand down to his hip, “We got to see the moment they evolved, we even befriended them, and that’s always amazing.” He chuckled and looked to Sakuragi.

“First Lugia, then Fushigibana..,” The professor shook his head and chuckled, “That’s amazing, Satoshi.”

A prideful sound left him and he raised a hand to his neck, rubbing it with a cheeky grin. His attention was pulled to Gou, the younger clearing his throat nervously. 

“Well then..While you’re at it..” A flush slowly spread across his face as he fidgeted anxiously for a moment before smiling nervously and lifting his gaze to Satoshi. “Could you be _my_ friend-”

“What are you talking about?” He questioned, an amused laugh fluttering up from his chest. Before Gou could even have a chance to be hurt, Satoshi was in his space with an arm over his shoulders. “We’re already friends, dummy.”

Gou could only stand there in shock for a moment before a flustered sound rose from his throat, a hand darting to the back of his head as he laughed sheepishly. “Oh of course!”

Satoshi stared at him for a moment, a brow quirked, before a burst of laughter bubbled from his chest, mingling with Gou’s. He would have said something if it weren’t for the sound of sudden barking, causing both teens to jump in surprise, instinctively grabbing onto one another.

Relief took over them when Koharu’s voice echoed through the air, the two slumping against each other. Looking at each other from the corner of their eyes, giggles left them as Sakuragi chuckled at the two and stepped towards his daughter.

“Welcome home,” He hummed, smiling at the sight of her petting Wanpachi, “What took you so long?” A slow sigh was his response as Koharu stood from her crouched position, arms crossing over her chest.

“All of the flowers at school bloomed at once and I was in charge of clean-up,” She huffed quietly, head tilting back, “It was so much work!”

Satoshi and Gou looked at one another once standing, sharing a brief grin before laughing. Koharu gave the older boys a weirded out look as she walked further in, shoulders slumping.

“What’s with you? You’re being creepy..” Head shaking, she didn’t stick around long enough for an answer, leaving her father to speak to his new assistants instead. Huffing out an amused sigh, Sakuragi shook his head slightly and looked at them.

“In any case, my exceptional Research Fellows,” He couldn’t help but laugh when Gou puffed up with pride, “have solved the Fushigisou march. Thank you!” He beamed at the two and got grins back, Gou taking a small step forward.

“We can still keep going!” He exclaimed, excitement shining in his eyes. Satoshi stepped up beside him, raising a fist to his chest with a grin.

“Yeah,” He chuckled, looking at Gou from the corner of his eyes, “I can’t wait to see what adventure lies in store next.” That earned him a chuckle and his time it was Gou who raised his hand, quirking a brow hopefully. A laugh was his response as Satoshi lifted his fist to bump them together.

Next to Satoshi’s head, thrilled sparks came from Pikachu and he jumped down his trainer’s arm, putting a paw on their collided fists. 

As night fell, Satoshi found himself excusing himself from heading straight to bed, causing confusion for his new friend. He was glad he didn’t question it, however, and stepped out of the lab to walk down the stairs. Pikachu was sitting on his shoulder, swaying sleepily, and the teen chuckled quietly to himself.

“You didn’t have to come with me, Pikachu.” He hummed, raising a hand to scratch under his partner’s chin. The electric mouse chirped in frustration, pawing in the direction of his trainer’s phone, and he let out a bark of laughter. “Alright, alright, I get it," He hummed, playfully tickling the outstretched paw and earning a loud squeal as Pikachu pulled away.

Laughing loudly, Satoshi looked to his Rotom Phone, still chuckling as he pulled up his contacts, quickly going to the one he and his Pokémon were so excited to call. A quick press to the video call and he sat down on a step around midway down the walkway, fidgeting anxiously.

A few moments passed before the call was answered, a familiar blonde on the other side of the phone.

"Satoshi..," He grumbled, the state his person was in making it obvious he'd only just woken up. A sheepish laugh bubbled from the raven haired boy's chest, smiling cheekily at the other.

"Aww, did I wake you up, Gladio?" He cooed, earning an affirming grumble from Gladio as he pressed his face into his elbow. Satoshi found himself smiling warmly, supporting the phone on his knees as his other hand came to support his chin. "Aww, I'm sorry, baby. Want me to come to Kalos and hold you until you fall back asleep?" 

"Shut up, asshole." Gladio growled out, peaking out from behind his arm. A bark of laughter burst from Satoshi's chest and the blonde visibly relaxed at the sight, eyes crinkling ever so slightly at the corners. Picking up on it, a dramatic gasp left Satoshi and he placed his free hand on his chest.

"Glads! Are you smiling at me?" 

A whine rose from his boyfriend and he laughed, expression softening slightly. 

"I'm sorry for not coming to Kalos like planned. I was planning on becoming a Professor's lab assistant, but things happen.." Satoshi frowned at his phone, shoulders slumping slightly. Gladio sighed from his end and lifted his head, shooting him with a stern look.

"Satoshi. I wouldn't want you to turn down an opportunity like this just to come see me." Gladio lifts a hand, as if going to reach out, before realizing and forcing it back down. The dark hair teen sighed deep in his chest, looking to the side slightly only to see his partner looking up at him with those big worried eyes. Bristling, he quickly scooped the mouse Pokémon up, earning a startled squeak as he shows him to the camera.

"Pikachu misses you." He spoke, changing the subject, and his boyfriend let out a deep sigh before smiling tiredly at the yellow mouse.

"Hello, Pikachu. Have you been taking care of him for me?" He chuckled when the Pokémon gave him a serious look and nodded, smile growing slightly. A warm smile fell across Satoshi’s face and he sat Pikachu in his lap, staring at his boyfriend.

“I miss you, too, Glads.” He murmured, gaze gentle. He watched as a faint flush spread across his face and a huff left the blond, eyes flicking away for a moment before moving back to Satoshi.

“I miss you, too,” He started, seeming to hesitate for a moment before grinning slightly, “I want a kiss real bad now.”

This time it was Satoshi’s turn to blush, a deep shade of red spreading across his face, and Gladio let out a bark of laughter, head falling to his pillow to muffle the sound. After a moment of him laughing and Satoshi mumbling to himself, he lifted his head, lips parting as if he was going to speak, only to bristle, eyes glued on something behind Satoshi.

The expression seemed to snap the raven haired teen from his flustered state and his brows furrowed slightly, worry washing over him. 

"Gladio? Are you alright?" Satoshi questioned and he followed his gaze only to jump when his eyes met a pair of steely blue. "Gou?!" 

Gou stared down at Satoshi with furrowed brows, expression unsure as his gaze flickered between him and the person on the phone.

"Satoshi. Who's that?" Gladio spoke up, voice on edge, and his partner's eyes were on him once more. He could see how tense he was and his gaze hardened when he looked to this 'Gou' person.

"This is Gou, my friend and the one I told you about that I got hired with..," Satoshi trailed off for a moment, gaze flickering to Gou, and he could _see_ the expectancy in his eyes, he wanted an introduction, too. Swallowing thickly, he looked at Gladio and spoke once more, "Gou, this is Gladio, he's my.."

Gladio spoke up in an attempt to cover for his visibly uncomfortable partner.

" _Boyfriend_ ." " _Friend_."

Gou seemed startled, eyes flicking between the person and the phone and his friend. Both seemed rather caught off guard as well, staring at one another in surprise, and Gou found himself holding his hands up.

"Hold up. Satoshi said you're his boyfriend, but you said you're his friend? Are you playing a joke on me?" Blue hues shit towards Satoshi and the older teen flinched away, looking at Gladio slightly. The two held eye contact for a moment, as if having a conversation through their gaze, and the blonde sighed, seemingly caving. 

Satoshi sighed quietly and looked to Gou once more, the familiar feeling of Pikachu rubbing his cheek against his arm a grounding one. His hand tightened on his phone slightly and he spoke.

"Gladio _is_ my boyfriend, we just..," Satoshi trailed off for a moment before looking down, " _I_ just haven't told many people yet."

Gou's brows furrowed slightly at the statement, hands going to his pockets so they wouldn't reach out to his friend. He wanted to, but something told him he wouldn't appreciate it at that moment.

"Why have you?" He asked instead, carefully walking down the steps and sitting on the step above him. Brown hues moved towards him and he could _see_ the anxiety in his eyes, the expression causing his stomach to twist.

"Not many people know I'm bi and I had planned to keep it that way until I knew everyone's views on it. The only people that know are my mother, my family in Alola, Gladio, of course, Takashi, Kasumi, and now you." Satoshi winced slightly at the small amount of people compared to the number of people he knew. He felt terrible for not having told more people, especially those he's known the longest like Professor Ookido or Shigeru, but that anxiety that came with finding out what they thought about kept his mouth shut. 

"Satoshi." Gladio spoke up, pulling his attention to him, and it felt like a warm blanket was laid over him at the gentle look on his face. "You're not obligated or explain yourself."

A dirty look was briefly shot at Gou and the brunette bristled at it, a frown spreading across his face.

"I didn't _make_ him tell me!" 

"Is that so? With that look on your face-" 

"He didn't have to if he didn't want to!" 

The two began bickering and Satoshi stared in silent shock at them before he felt himself crack, laughter slowly bubbling up from his chest. The joyful sound echoed through the air, gaining his boyfriend and friend's attention as he felt the anxiety begin to melt away.

"Whats so funny?!" They both barked out before looking at one another as if the other had offended them in some way. His laughter only intensified at the interaction, a hand wrapping around his stomach and a grin spreading across his face.

Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think Satoshi _wouldn't_ want to beat up Team Rocket after 9 Years of being harassed by them, then you're wrong
> 
> I like the Japanese Team Rocket motto more than the English tbh


End file.
